How has God been portrayed to you? In other words, when you think of God, what image comes to mind?
Kind? Overbearing? Compassionate? Mad? Wrathful? Angry? Loving? Graceful? Holy? Disgusted? Merciful? Judgmental? Aloof? Frightening?
Not long ago I was talking with a young man and the subject of Christianity came up. I asked him, “What do you think about it?” “It scares me!” he said. Now I didn’t dive into his past by asking him why he felt this way as it became apparent that he really didn’t want to converse any longer about his personal views, but I wonder what made him think the way he did? And then I began to think, “How many more have misconceptions about God? And why?”
While reading the Bible with a young man we came across the somewhat familiar story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4). Jesus hanging out and talking with such a woman was considered taboo yet here is Jesus, doing what Jesus does. When we finished with the story, I asked: “So what do you think?” “Jesus appears much different in this story than how I grew up imagining him,” he responded. Again, how many people have misconceptions about God? And why?
Not to be overly simplistic here, but I wonder if one of the reasons some seem to have a faulty image of God is because those of us who claim to follow him are not reflecting him as he really is? We preach God is full of grace, but are we? We say God loves the world so much that he gave, but do we?
I know the adage is that no one is perfect and that we are all sinners, and yet somehow that excuse has come to not have much merit for me. I do agree that we are not always loving and graceful to others, but instead of just saying, “Well…no one’s perfect,” let’s humble ourselves and own up to our frailties that cause hurt and pain to others and by God’s grace pursue the heart and mind of Christ.
Well, I think I have rambled a bit too much here. Hopefully there is something here that made you think. But before I sign off on this post, I want to to ask you again, “What image comes to mind when you think of God?” You may not see God as always kind and loving. If so, I understand. But what I encourage you to do, what I encourage all of us to do, is to pick up Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They will enlighten us as to the image of God as it is found in none other than Jesus himself. And as it does, it will reveal who we are to become as well.
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