Your view of God can shape your life, including how you relate to others.
Following on from “God Isn’t a Guess,” it’s worth asking the question: What is your picture of God?
Over the years we’ve heard from a variety of individuals about their view of God.
Some saw Him as a judge – waiting to pass judgement on their failings and mistakes; others saw Him as someone in outer space, distant or far removed from everyday life. Then there were those who believed He never existed and were only found in the imagination of those who were good and well behaved.
👀 How Did We Arrive At Our Picture Of God? 📸
Most of us have some sort of idea as to what God may be like – opinions that can change depending on how we may be feeling at the time or who we last talked to.
Not forgetting the influences from family, friends, life’s experiences, church, culture, or even religious people who were more concerned with keeping a list of rules rather than having a meaningful relationship with God. Then there’s also our fears, doubts, insecurities that can also influence us in our view of God – leaving us wondering does He really care?
Arriving At Our Opinion Of God
Over the years we’ve had numerous conversations and listened to many testimonies as well as having read widely about God as we tried to find out more about Him and His nature.
For us, when we came across verses like John 10:30 where Jesus said, “I and the Father are one, and then in John 14:9 “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,” helped us to grasp that if we wanted to know what God was like – we needed to take a closer look at Jesus – His attitude towards others; and the way He dealt with, spoke to and treated them. This resulted in us taking note of – His teachings, compassion, patience, courage, mercy, truth and love that far surpassed the religious leaders and authority figures of His day.
In Addition We Also Considered Other Aspects About God?
❤️ He Is Both Just and Loving
The Bible does not pretend that God is soft and sentimental about everything. He is holy, just and completely opposed to evil (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 89:14). That matters, because a God who never cared about injustice would not be good.
Yet God’s justice is not the whole story. The Bible also says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8), therefore He is not distant from human pain. Psalm 34:18 says that the Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and Romans 5:8 reveals God’s love through Christ.
God is not a grumpy referee with a whistle, waiting to give us a red card. Rather He is a loving Father who calls people towards truth, forgiveness and a changed life.
🧭 Why Our View Matters
What we believe about God has implications as to how we live. If we think God is harsh and impossible to please, we may live in fear. If we think He does not care, we may become careless and flippant about how we treat others and ourselves.
But when we begin to grasp God as He really is – loving, truthful, merciful, compassionate and kind – qualities that can grow in us too.
Remembering that Jesus calls His followers to love God and love their neighbour (Mark 12:30–31). That is not just a religious slogan; it is a practical way to live – with patience in conversations, forgiveness when wounded and kind when nobody is watching.
🌱 Time To Consider
So, what is your view of God? Instead of relying only on opinions, take time to read one of the Gospels and watch how Jesus treats people – particularly those who need help. Ask yourself honest questions as to a better way to respond. Ask God to help you to understand who He is.
God is not a guess, but understanding Him is a journey. And every genuine step towards Him can bring greater clarity, hope, purpose as well as intimacy with Him.