What You Believe About God Matters
/“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.
Read More