For the past month in church, we’ve been studying the image of God, and it has been a profound reminder of how skewed my own image of Him used to be.
Growing up, I learned about God primarily through the adults around me and through lessons in children’s ministry. It wasn’t until I took the time to read the entire Bible on my own and learn directly from the Holy Spirit that my perception fundamentally changed.
The Lie I Believed
My childhood impression of God was a lie. I mistakenly believed He was a God whose sole delight was in punishing human beings. I thought He was a divine scorekeeper who wrote a strict set of rules, checking them off, and punishing us immediately when we failed.
I thought He only loved me when I was doing His will—a will that felt impossible to accomplish. The enemy’s lie was simple: God delights in drowning us in standards and commandments He knows we will never achieve. This false image kept me from pursuing a genuine, true relationship with Him.
The Personal Impact
This skewed view of God greatly affected my image of myself.
If I think my Creator doesn’t love me and just looks for opportunities to punish me, how can I see myself as a King’s daughter? How can I see myself as a loved and cherished daughter if all I see is a God who hovers over me and sets unachievable standards? My image of my Creator, Father, and King has everything to do with the way I see myself.
The Truth I Found
Perhaps you also struggle with some wrong impressions of God—afraid to let Him in, thinking He will ruin your life or keep you from the “good” things of life. These are all lies.
I can testify: God desperately loves us and is merciful. Unlike the rigid, fear-based picture taught in an old children’s song (“if you sin, he will see it and write it and not bless you”), I have seen God in countless expressions. My lifetime will not permit me to know Him in all His expressions.
But if there is one image I can leave with you, it is this: God desperately loves and is merciful.
