God's Not Like That: Redeeming Inherited Beliefs and Finding the Father You Long ForSample

God's Not Always Like What We Learned at Home

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27 NASB). God created both sexes in His image, but they have different roles.

The relationship of Adam and Eve is meant to be a picture of the love relationship between God and people. Think of it as actors in a play: Adam plays the part of God, and Eve plays the part of people made in the image of God.

Husband and wife are to dance together, not as a substitute for a relationship with God but as a picture—a taste—of the intimacy God wants to experience with them. You might say people were created in the image of God to dance with Him.

You may be wondering, “So what’s the point? What does all this have to do with my view of God?”

Well, everything. You were created to dance with God. Your soul wants that. But it requires a right view of God.

Where does that right view of God come from? God intended that He be rightly portrayed at home. Adam and Eve were created to depict that love relationship at home. And so are all couples.

Whether a home is loving or abusive, godless or spiritual, broken or healthy, it’s a classroom where God is taught and learned. No one comes out of their family of origin unaffected by what was learned about God at home. Often, these beliefs are subtle and buried in our subconscious minds. We may be totally unaware of what we learned about God at home. What we do know is that those beliefs will dramatically impact how we live and how we view and relate to God.

How might your view of God have been impacted by your family? If God were truly like what you experienced at home, what would He be like?