If the same-sex marriage controversy were merely about equal rights, the best way for the LGBT community to cement their position would be to now champion the Constitutional freedoms of religion and speech. Conservative opposition would slow to a trickle, and an uneasy sort of truce would ensue. Admittedly, the scenario is unlikely because the legalization of same sex marriage has never been the endgame.

At its core, the LGBT movement is as much about identity as it is about freedom.  The recent SCOTUS decision was simply another step, albeit a very important one, on the road to complete acceptance and approval.

The issue of identity has driven human behavior since our earliest days. Due to Adam and Eve’s transgression in the garden of Eden, we’re all born with what I call a “glory deficiency.” At the deepest levels of our being, the human race is driven by an unquenchable longing for significance.

The LGBT movement can never be content with simply the legalization of same-sex marriage. Validation is what they—and all of us for that matter—need. LGBT leaders will not rest until they either persuade or force everyone on the planet to celebrate all things LGBT as natural, normal, and healthy. Consequently, all who disagree with an LGBT lifestyle will continue to be labeled as hateful and bigoted enemies even though hate may be the furthest thing from their minds.

The reality is that no LGBT lifestyle will ever be completely “normalized.” Despite public pressure, conservative Christians will continue to stand in opposition on biblical grounds. Beyond that, there are other groups—especially Muslims—who are now bristling at an unnatural mindset they feel is being forced upon them. Trust me, those culture wars are just beginning to heat up.

But even if every dissenter were banished from the planet Earth, it still wouldn’t be enough to heal the intense pain that many in the LGBT community feel. No amount of human approval can fully ease the pain of rejection they’ve felt, nor satisfy the glory deficiency with which we all are born.

I feel terrible for those in the LGBT community who are not only caught between warring cultures, but who have bought into the lie that a person’s significance is defined by his/her sexuality. It is an identity without a solid foundation, amounting to little more than a fleeting vapor on a misty morning. Eventually, they will learn, just as I’ve learned as a straight married male, that a healthy sense of significance can never be rooted in the shifting sands of human approval.

The only way that the core needs of our hearts can be met is by learning to draw our worth from an intimate relationship with the God who created us. Only His amazing favor can satisfy our deepest needs. Thankfully, God’s arms are opened wide for anyone who is willing to draw near to Him on His terms.

Whether you see yourself as gay or straight, a powerful next step would be to fully surrender both your sexuality and your identity into the Savior’s loving care. He cares so much more than you realize, and has hopes and dreams for you that far exceed your own.

Of course, you can persist in your own way and follow your own path (which is far less your own than you realize), but as someone who has traveled the lonely, pain-ridden road of insecurity, I can, with total confidence, assure you that no amount of human approval will ever be enough.

photo credit: Mr. and Mr. marriage equality (CC) via photopin (license)