God Is _______నమూనా

Who Is God to You?

Imagine two siblings describing their father. One child might focus on how their dad is funny, consistent, or loving, while the other might focus on his work ethic, reliability, or patience. Both kids describe the same person, but each has unique experiences that influence how they view him.

Similarly, all of God’s children experience Him a little differently, which is why some people might focus more on God’s holiness and power, and others might dwell more on God’s compassion and mercy. Either way, God is a perfect Father, and His character is consistent with His Word.

But God also reveals Himself personally to each of us. That’s why the way you describe God might not sound exactly the same as how a friend would describe Him, and that’s okay! The main thing is that we always want to make sure our view of God matches His Word.

Because of seeing God at work in our lives in different ways, coming together gives us a fuller picture of who He is. Maybe in a season of sickness, you’ve experienced God as Healer, while your friend has an incredible story of God as their Provider. Both experiences strengthen our faith and help us learn more of who God is.

The Psalms offer a great example of this. We find both songs of lament and songs of praise, each focusing on different things about God. We discover a God who is a Comforter and a Refuge in trouble and also a God who is the source of our joy.

The problem comes when we base our view of God on our circumstances instead of looking for God in the middle of them. When we view God through our personal feelings of the moment, we’ll find a god who sounds a lot like us. Or we’ll create a god who exists to serve our agenda.

But when we instead choose to consider the true character of God in the middle of our circumstances, that’s where we’ll find hope, peace, comfort, and joy.

So, who is God to you?

Finding that answer will likely be a lifelong pursuit, but it’ll be the most important question we ponder.

Pray: God, thank You for being both infinite and intimate. I know You as ______, and I believe You are _____. Help me correct and confront any lies I still believe about You, and give me even more experiences that show me more of Your real character. Help me stop basing my view of You on the circumstances of my life and instead start looking for You in the middle of them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Go back to your list from day one. What else would you add? Think about any personal experiences you’ve had with God relating to each attribute. Make notes about them to remind yourself when you start to question His character.

This Bible Plan accompanies a message series from Life.Church with Pastor Craig Groeschel. Find more at www.life.church/Godis