God Concept (Part One)
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE GOD REALLY IS - TO YOU?
Why it matters, what gets in the way of clarity, and what to do about it.
As I really dug into writing this one, I had a feeling it would be a multi-parter! Why? Because our perception of God and the way we view Him is complex and undergoes changes throughout the span of our lives. It’s worth talking about because our spiritual health and the way we live our lives hinges on it.
I welcome you to bring all of your qualms, baggage and idiosyncratic experiences to this Spiritual Anthro party because God is here to help us work through it ALL and reveal Himself in the process!
So how do you actually perceive God in the “eyes” of your heart (or your brain)?
Your personal answer to that is likely complex and nuanced due to many factors, as it should be! And our subconscious mind is at work more than we realize. How we think God is relating to us, thinking about us and communicating with us can be impacted by our own experiences and opinions. But the hope here is to have our perception of the Lord grow deeper and richer through time.
If we're being honest, our answer to that question can differ from how we feel sometimes. We can say that we know He’s good and merciful, but we are living a nightmare. Or that we know we’re forgiven and saved His grace… but the past still haunts us. Examples galore!
Let’s explore what a God concept is, why it matters, and why our head and heart are sometimes at odds over our perception of Him.
Generally, a "God concept" refers to the idea or understanding of a divine being or ultimate power, often shaped by culture, religion, philosophy, and personal beliefs. Ranging from a specific deity in organized religions, to more abstract notions of divinity, such as a universal energy, a higher consciousness, or the essence of nature.
For all intents and purposes, we are focusing on the God of the Bible in this blog post. The Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. Maybe in the future if I’m feeling extra ambitious, I’ll tackle a post on the doctrine of the Trinity! Haha (Spoiler alert: no one can explain the Triune God perfectly, but there are decent analogies that help!)
Why it matters…
Are you deeply invested in a relationship with someone you care about? I hope so! Not to sound like Captain Obvious but it’s worth stating: God really cares about having a relationship with us. Like really really. He always wanted this and it is the unchanging truth. But we are ever changing. Even in our thoughts towards Him, for better or worse.
James 1 talks about the pitfalls of being tossed around by doubt, essential thinking that is split between different ideas. Disillusionment ultimately leads to instability.
By building on a foundation of truth, we strengthen our understanding of God’s character and nature, as well as our personal experience of Him.
Our relationship with the Lord goes hand in hand with our ability to trust Him. Let’s be honest, trusting God is not trusting God unless there is a challenge to the trust. Would it still be considered trusting Him if it was easy? Sometimes we have a hard time trusting Him…but what if instead we were encouraged by knowing that the sacrifice of trying to trust God pleases Him more than we know?
We can’t trust who we don’t know. So how can we know God better? Let’s look at some scripture that will help…
A step towards clarity
Holding a God concept that is as accurate and undefiled as possible is a lifelong process of un-doing what is not true and re-building with Biblical truth. There is often a huge mess to have undone in our understanding, so it helps to just start in one place and keep it simple. A foundational truth we can start to mediate on is that God does not lie. I may deep dive into more of these verses at a later time, but here are some faith-builders regarding God’s unchanging nature and faithfulness to His word.
TRY THIS: Notice the response of your soul as you read. Do you find yourself realizing that some of these verses don’t resonate with your actual thoughts? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you exactly why that is and what contributed to that thinking. It won’t be a quick Q&A but it will be worth it! Exposure gives insight into what the Lord wants to refine and heal.
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
1 Samuel 15:29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.
Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Malachi 3:6-7 For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
James 1:16-17
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
STAY TUNED - We’re going to address specific issues that have tainted our concept of who God is to us personally in the next post!