It’s interesting how a new year brings with it the chance for a new beginning. Have you ever made a New Year's resolution that you simply forgot to follow through on, or didn't think through entirely before you attempted to keep it? These resolutions always seem to begin with good intentions. As each new year begins, we want to start it off on the right foot, and most of the time these resolutions are our attempted "improvements" for our lives. While each of these New Year's resolutions is an attempt to improve ourselves, the most important part of who we are is what we think when we think about God.
So let me ask you this, what are your thoughts on God? If no was around to judge you for what you really thought…what would you think about God?
I’ll tell you something that I am learning lately…my view of God continues to evolve, shift and re-align as I learn more about Him and experience more of His love in my life.
When I first believed in God, my view of Him was somewhat unique. I thought God was a caucassian grandpa type figure that sat on a throne and watched over his creation somewhat removed from it all. There were other parts of my view of God that weren’t correct and that still shape the way I view Him today. I was taught that God was mean…He made you do what you didn’t want to do. You never wanted to say the word never cause I soon as you did that would mean God would ask you to do that very thing.
I remember on one occasion that I told my mom that I would never marry the girl who lived next door cause I despised her…my mom aptly replied, “don’t say never Jason cause you might just end up marrying her.” Thankfully that never has held up thus far!!
There were other parts of my view of God that were incorrect and uneducated as well. I feared prayer because when I got in trouble an authority figure in my life would tell me they would pray for me. I began to view prayer as a weapon of submission, not to God but to the opinions and thoughts of others for my life.
I’m sure if each of us had the courage to be honest and real with what our thoughts about God really are we would share some similarities and some differences in our God-View.
If one of Jesus’ closest friends, Peter, struggled with His view of God, we can expect to struggle at times in our lives as well. Peter walked life together with Jesus. Peter saw Jesus face to face and he still struggled with keeping an accurate God-View in his life. Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but knowing it and allowing this knowledge to inform how he lived are two entirely different things. Peter wrestled with his God-View. Wrestling isn’t a bad thing…wrestling makes us stronger, it makes us want the truth more and it helps to shape us in the image of our Creator.
If one of Jesus’ closest friends, Peter, struggled with His view of God, we can expect to struggle at times in our lives as well. Peter walked life together with Jesus. Peter saw Jesus face to face and he still struggled with keeping an accurate God-View in his life. Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but knowing it and allowing this knowledge to inform how he lived are two entirely different things. Peter wrestled with his God-View. Wrestling isn’t a bad thing…wrestling makes us stronger, it makes us want the truth more and it helps to shape us in the image of our Creator.
No matter what your view of God has been, is or will become, you are never beyond restoration. Our thoughts of God need to continue to grow, mature and evolve as we learn and experience more of Him in our lives.
What’s your GodView? How is it healthy and how is it unhealthy? What needs to change? Where do you need to grow?
No comments:
Post a Comment