Traditional Beliefs

“If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break us from those traditional beliefs that misrepresent Him…If you will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of himself.” (My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers)

What are some of the traditional beliefs we have about God that might be a misrepresentation of who He really is?

• A Judgmental God- A stern father-figure who holds us accountable and has high expectations of us. 
• A God who lives “up there” rather than within us. 
• A bargaining God- “If you do this for me, I’ll make sure things turn out all right for you.” 
• An egotistical, jealous God who wants to be praised and worshiped all the time.
• A secretive God who doesn’t explain Himself or reveal Himself.
• A God that needs to be regularly reminded to take care of us and our loved ones.

It takes years to get to know someone really well. If we remain faithful to God, He will reveal his innermost thoughts to us. I think God must be complex, with many sides. I believe He expresses himself differently to each of us depending on our own needs and personalities.

In my own experience, God has a sense of humor and is infinitely patient, forgiving, comforting, dependable, surprising, and strong. My only complaints about God are that He doesn’t work according to my schedule, and He allows pain and suffering.

Over the next few days, I’m going to delve into some of these myths about God…