Get To Know God

People often have an inaccurate or limited view of the character of God. Some people don’t know Him at all. Some view Him as a sadistic monster with an ego that is out of control. There are those who have been taught religion without being taught how to get to know God Himself. Others feel that they have done so many bad things that God has rejected them. Whatever those reasons may be, misunderstanding God’s character keeps people from getting to know Him.

Most people believe in a god, but  simply believing that there’s a ‘higher power’ does nothing to bring a person closer to God. That kind of thinking keeps people detached and distant from Him, which is the opposite of what God desires for each and every one of us. It prevents them from getting to know His nature, His character, His motivation for doing everything He does. We need to get to know God, not just know about God.

We need to know Who God is (as a Person), because when you know someone you begin to understand their motivation for doing what they do. If you truly know someone and they seem to act ‘out of character,’ you try to give them the benefit of doubt. Husbands and wives, family members, close friends – all these relationships allow for a certain amount of latitude when it comes to how we respond to their actions. We tend to give them the benefit of doubt when they do things we don’t understand, because we know them. If that’s the case in how we respond to other people, then shouldn’t we act the same way with the Author of the universe?

The opposite is true as well. If we don’t really know someone and they do things we don’t understand, then it’s much easier for us to jump to conclusions. That’s why people have an inaccurate or limited view of the character of God. They know about Him but they don’t know Him.  I was one of those people.

For years I struggled with a personal image of God as Someone Who could not ever love or accept me. My past is rather – shall I say – colorful? He is holy while I was unholy. He is righteous while I was unrighteous. He is perfect while I am imperfect. I was the exact opposite of all that He is. I was sure God wanted nothing to do with me because He knew, intimately, everything I had done. My view of God was based on my misunderstanding of His character, but in fact I could not have been more wrong!

This is Part One of a multi-part series. Keep watch for the next installment!