08/21/2018 - Who is your God?

The question I've been pondering lately is "Who is your God?"  This can be read many different ways, but the question I'm really asking is - who do you understand God to be?

There are many ways to know God's character and his attributes. He tells us in scripture that He reveals himself in nature, through praise, in his Word, through the words of friends, and more. He CAN be known. 

I think that who we understand God to be is critical to our welfare and happiness. If we believe He is a bully or a tyrant or random or absent -- any of these things affect our willingness to go to Him for help, hope, joy, wisdom, peace.  If He can't be trusted because of some "flaw" we perceive Him to have, we will not yield our life or our decisions to Him. 

What if, instead of bully or tyrant, we would begin to see God as good or loving or wise or compassionate or gentle? Wouldn't that change our capacity to trust Him?

 What causes us to have a wrong view of God?

• being in a time of spiritual dryness  
• being angry or offended by a Christian brother/sister
• being away from God's Word for extended time
• being lonely or exhausted
• seeking to replace God with other people or things
• past wounds or hurts

How is break-through possible?

While there is not a simple solution (especially in cases of past abuses or other critical situations), there is hope. God wants to be known. He created us to be in fellowship with Him. 

The same faith that brought you to salvation can help you know Him as a good, caring, wise, loving Father. Trust Him in some small thing.  Cling to one attribute (like His goodness) and believe it to be true.  Read the Bible, looking for his goodness. Ask trusted friends to come alongside and help.  

 Let us know how we can pray for you!