What We Think About Godናሙና

WHAT WE THINK ABOUT GOD

In his masterpiece Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer states,

Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.[i]

The church today, similar to Tozer’s day, and in fact much of history, is facing crisis from within, and challenge from without. A Lifeway Research study revealed that although 79 percent of non-Christians said they would engage in a faith conversation if asked, only 39 percent of Christians have actually shared how to trust in Jesus with someone in the past six months. That’s a remarkable gap.

Similarly, when asked what condition they desire most for their future, Barna Research revealed that 75 percent of adults said they want a close relationship with God. We see this reflected in Ecclesiastes 3:11, which boldly says that God “has put eternity into man’s heart.” 

And yet, an article in Psychology Today calls our current state a “loneliness epidemic,” saying, “In the last fifty years, regardless of geographic location, gender, race, or ethnicity, rates of loneliness have doubled in the United States.” 

And with approximately 77 percent of Americans having a social media profile today, a new study concludes that there is a link between an increased use of social media and increased depression and loneliness. In fact, the title of the research shrieks at us: “No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression.” FOMO: Feelings of Missing Out. 

We have a pandemic that can only be healed by the Balm of Gilead—the healing power that comes only from a God who loves so deeply and dearly that he would sacrifice everything for the sake of a world he loves. 

But what of this God? Who is he, and what do we—the church—perceive him to be like? And equally profound and perplexing is this: What does the world perceive him to be like? Tozer writes,  

What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us….The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at any given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.[ii]

And this is the question before us. Before we jump to missions or evangelism. Before we talk about witnessing and hospitality. Before we talk about service and sacrifice, we must address the single biggest issue both Christians and non-Christians have: Who do we believe God is, and what do we believe he is like?

STUDY QUESTIONS:

1. When you think of God, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

2. If asked, “What do you believe God to be like?” how would you answer?

3. Reflect on your own understanding of God historically. Has your view of God shifted over time? How so? Has this been positive or negative?

4. Reflect on your view of God. Where have you gotten your information, impressions, or beliefs? Through a local church community? Your own experiences? Mentors? Social media? Scripture? 

[i] Tozer, A.W. 1961. Knowledge of the Holy. New York: HarperCollins, 1.

[ii] Ibid, 1.