Reframe: From The God We've Made…To God With UsSample

Rethinking God

You’ve probably heard a lot of things about God. I have. Heaps of explanations are available about what God will and will not do. I’ve listened to loads of anecdotes about how He works, and certainly millions of words have been written to unveil His true nature and character. People have even told me what they think His favorite music is and what sorts of sins He hates most.

This endless stream of information about the way God works led me to believe that if I could just get the recipe right, find the correct formula, and follow all the steps in sequence, then I could get Him to move on my behalf and show me some of His amazing love. Usually this meant that He would do whatever I was asking. I thought that if my life were in proper order and I were following the prescription; I could get what I wanted or needed. And it was frustrating when that didn’t work. I was following the program, and it felt like He just wasn’t coming through. I’d framed a complete picture of a God I thought I knew, and it was mostly based on things I’d heard about Him rather than on things I’d actually experienced in a relationship with Him. But if we’re going to make declarative statements or even have quiet assumptions about someone, the fair thing would be to get to know them well enough to personally form those opinions.

In a court of law you can’t testify to the character of a person based on things you heard other people say. That’s called hearsay. You can only testify to the things you know firsthand.

Job said, “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:5-6, NLT).

How much of your relationship with God is based on your firsthand knowledge of Him? What do you actually know of God for yourself because of your intimacy with Him? What cherished memories and experiences do you have that only you and He share? These are questions worth spending some time on.