Debunking the Myth
By Brita Crouse
“Therefore, since we
are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or
silver or stone - - an image made by man’s design and skill.”
Acts 17:29 (NIV)
“Have
you ever repented for the way you thought God was?” This question startled me
to attention in the middle of a sermon one Sunday. Have I ever had a negative
idea about God that wasn’t accurate? Certainly I had, but I never thought it
warranted an apology. But…why wouldn’t it? It got me thinking about times in my
life when people have had wrong impressions of me and how it made me feel...not
so great.
God
has feelings, too! He has made us in His image; He’s given us qualities and
characteristics that directly reflect Him. Think of the person who you think
loves you the most. God loves you infinitely more than that person could. Yet,
we can get inadvertently sidetracked into misinterpreting His actions to mean
He’s capriciously wrathful and angry and does not love.
We
tend to compare God to our human relationships because that’s what we know.
But, God is so much better than we think He is. He loves us more than any human
could. He provides for us more than any amount of money could. He protects us
more than any weapon could. He disciplines us more justly than the most loving
parent could. He empathizes better than any best friend could, weeping when we
weep and rejoicing when we rejoice. He is jealous, but not in the
“crazy-ex-boyfriend” kind of way. His anger and wrath are righteous and just,
not sinful.
God
gives us human relationships, though, to reflect His nature. Think of your
spouse or a parent or good friend. Those relationships are meant to reveal
different aspects of God, but because they are human relationships, there is
bound to be hurt in them at some point.
Unlike
humans, God is perfect, and while we may stumble in our walk with Him, it’s not
because of anything He did. It’s all us. God is not like a man made idol. He is
not silver or gold or stone. He is real. He is personal and relational and
intentional and loving…and we are His offspring! Thankfully, when we recognize
we have a wrong assumption of God, His Spirit teaches us something about
Himself that we didn’t know before.
Repentance
for our mistaken assumptions of God can only draw us closer into relationship
with Him. “Have you ever repented for the way you thought God was?”
GOING
DEEPER:
1. List the wrong assumptions you have or have
had about God. Talk to Him about them.
2. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for a picture of
God’s perfect love.
FURTHER
READING:
Brita recently
graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology, has been
attending Oakwood for sixteen years, and is currently part of our Just Among
Moms weekly childcare team.
