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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Lie I Believed<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n I thought He only loved me when I was doing His will\u2014a 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.<\/p>\n The Personal Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n This skewed view of God greatly affected my image of myself.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n