What You Believe About God Matters

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what you believe about god matters pamela henkelman

“But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never, quit.  You look me in the eye and show kindness. Psalm 86:15-16 MSG

Missed Connection

Melissa settles on the porch, a cup of coffee in hand, and her Bible. “Here we go again God,” she thinks. She picks up the Bible with its pristine pages. The binding is still stiff from lack of use. “When will I ever figure this out?” she thinks.  She knows God is near, but she’s not sure He’s interested in her. 

Melissa has had a few encounters with God. She’s had glimpses of His love but most of the time she’s confused and would rather avoid Him. 

Her life had been a whirlwind of mistakes, missteps, and regret.  Shame is her constant companion.  How could she possibly be near a Holy God with the choices she’s made?

She wonders where she should read when she picks up her Bible.  She feels uncomfortable, inadequate, and overwhelmed, but she knows it would be a good thing for her to do.

She feels less than, empty, and lost. 

She’s confident God is disappointed in her. She’ll let Him down just like everyone else in her life. 

She closes her Bible and sighs in disgust. Sadness and defeat are mirrored in her eyes. “This will never work,” she thinks.

What we believe about God matters. We can see Melissa struggles with her view of God.  She doesn’t believe in His goodness or faithfulness.  She’s projecting her lack unto Him. 

As we desire to build a loving union with God it’s important to evaluate what we believe about Him. Have you ever thought about what you believe about God?

These are helpful questions to ask yourself.

  • Is He good?

  • Is He loving?

  • Is He patient?

  • Is He faithful?

  • Is He trustworthy?

  • Is He kind?

  • Is He compassionate

  • Is He demanding?

  • Is He aloof?

  • Is He harsh?

  • Is He angry?

  • Is He disappointed?

  • Is He uncaring?

  • Is He impatient?

Who Is God?

How we answer these questions reveals what we believe. What we believe is how we will act towards God.  If we believe He is good, we’ll move closer. If we believe He’s harsh, aloof, or uncaring, we’ll recoil and avoid Him.

“But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never, quit. You look me in the eye and show kindness. Psalm 86_15-16 MSG.png

What we believe about God might be a hindrance to our connection with Him.  So what can we do if our beliefs are causing us to avoid God?

Some steps to change our perception of God:

We need self-awareness.

            We start by asking ourselves these questions. We get honest with ourselves. Change 

             will take place when we become aware of our false beliefs.

                

We move from Self to God.

This seems to contradict self-awareness, but after we understand the state of how we view God, we need to shift our focus from ourselves to God.  Let’s face it, this is challenging because Self is powerful, bossy, and wants to be the center of the universe.  When we focus on ourselves we only see our lack.  When we shift to God we see His abundance.  The goal is for Self to become less so God can become greater.

We renew our minds

The most effective way to renew our minds is through the study of the Word. Friends,  the  Bible is a book about God. If we want to know the truth about who God is, we’ll make the Bible a priority.  We’ll become eager learners as the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to our bruised hearts.  

As we read the Word we ask ourselves these questions:

  • Who is God?

  • What is God doing?

  • What does this story reveal about His character?

Friends, this is good news because once we ask ourselves these questions, we can be on the way to repairing the breach in our connection with God.  It simply requires self-awareness, dying to Self, and renewing our minds with the Word.

Healing and restoration of our view of God take place in relationship with Him.  Move a little closer and watch what God will do.  He loves you!  I promise!

Let’s pray.

Dear Papa, Help me be aware of what I believe about You.  I don’t want any false belief to hinder our connection.  Give me the courage to approach You and a desire to read and understand who You are based on Your Word.  Renew me and help me see You for who you truly are. Amen.

Still, struggling?

Maybe this will help.

I have a free helpful five-day devotional: Draw Near Beloved: Five Encouragements to Increase Your Intimacy With God. Each morning, for five days, a short devotional will arrive in your inbox.  Leave your name and email so I know where to send it.