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WHAT WE GET WRONG ABOUT GOD: OUR PERCEPTION OF GOD

November 3, 2023

 “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” – James 1:2-3.

The Christian life is the sum of how we perceive God.  If we perceive God incorrectly, then our faith will be incorrect. God wants to take our perception of Him from His Word, not in our circumstances. Our perception of God can be distorted by the way others have treated us, the wickedness of this world, or the enemy. We have all met people who won’t believe in God or Jesus because the world is such a mess or their lives are in turmoil. They want to blame God for the conditions in the world and the drama and problems in their lives. Their concept/perception of God is wrong. People see God as difficult if not impossible to please—cold, hard, and angry, ready to judge every failure is wrong as well. Too often, people are striving to earn His approval and hoping God won’t cast them aside.

Our Heavenly Father is a God of love, salvation, mercy, patience, and health, but you won’t learn that by looking at what is happening in the world. You need to look at His word to have the correct perception of our Heavenly Father.

That is why the local church is so vital to our lives. The local church is where we learn to perceive God correctly.  God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in the church.  Without a local church, we can develop wrong perceptions of God.  Without knowing Him correctly, we cannot enjoy all that He is.  Hebrews 2:12 from the Amplified Bible says, “…I (Jesus) I will declare Your (the Father’s) name to My brethren (believers), In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” Jesus says He will disclose the Name of God in the midst of the church.

It is a valuable exercise to look inward at how we perceive and what we believe about God. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom and look at all of who God says He is in Scripture. In scripture, you will find that He is compassionate and faithful (Lamentations 3:22–23), loving (1 John 4), holy (Leviticus 11:44), merciful and faithful (Psalms 86:15), and that He rules over everything (Psalms 103:19)?

Every time you open God’s Word, ask Him to reveal who He is.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you need to deconstruct or construct your concept of God/ Or either?    

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