How Do You See God?

A couple weeks ago, I jotted a few unedited lines into the notepad on my phone:

I used to think I had to leap
Across each hill and gulley.
But I have learned He'd rather carry
Me through dangerous valleys.

I used to think I should be strong
And carry all my burdens.
But Jesus showed me I am weak
And He would take the tough ones.

I've slowly learned, He isn't mad
When I'm lost in disaster.
Instead, He gently turns me round
To show me what is better.

I've even learned that if it hurts
He's teaching me a lesson.
The kind that brings me to a new
And stronger sense of heaven.

I do believe that I have found
That God up in His heaven
Is not a Master with a Whip
But a Father to His Children.

I don't know why, but somewhere in my childhood, I picked up the idea that I needed to be good in order to be loved and nice in order to be accepted. As I've grown older, God has been teaching more about who He actually is and what that means.

This week, I am entering a women's prison to share the love of Jesus Christ. As I talk with them and listen, I hear faulty beliefs about God such as He is alienated and far away or just laughs at us in our mess. As a friend of mine stated, "Everyone has a different concept or picture of what God is actually like." And from what I have observed, our view of God is directly impacted by the circumstances which we grew up in. An incarcerated man who saw his father shot to death in front of his eyes may believe that God is unjust and uncaring. A woman whose father divorced her mother when she was only nine may believe that God is distant and uncaring. A child whose father was critical or demanding may view God as malicious and holding a big stick. A teenager who grew up in a church or family with stringent rules may see God as a critical, easily-angered God in the sky unless pleased perfectly. And finally, a child who is raised in a family/community with grace and justice, love and truth, mercy and kindness, will view God as a loving and involved Father.

Unfortunately, life is not perfect. People and churches are far from perfect and until we find our perfection in Christ, we will remain far from it ourselves. 

So my thought is this. How many of us (yes, even in Conservative Christian circles) are living life with an incorrect view of God the Father? How many of us see Him as harsh, uncaring, untrustworthy, an unattainable Figure in the sky, or simply aloof and distant?

What if, He is different than You think? What if He is caring, loving, truthful, trustworthy, and very much involved in Your life. What if He orchestrated every minute of what happened to you? Carefully planned where you would be born, what family you would have, your church attendance, and what your life's work would be? What if He is waiting for you to really find and discover Him so that He can work in and through you as He really is? Perhaps your circumstances are not really a hindrance or frustration, but a platform where God can show His glory. Perhaps you are not a mistake but a masterpiece. Perhaps, you are not forgotten but remembered and loved. Perhaps your life is not at a dead end but at a new beginning. 

Many of the Pharisees and other Jewish people in the Bible completely missed Jesus Christ because He was too different and odd to fit their view point. Could it be, that we are guilty of shutting down God's work and the love of Jesus Christ because it shows up as "different", "odd", or "uncomfortable." Listen for His heart. He is there and waiting to be found. ❤️