Santa or Chief Justice?

As a child, I rarely thought about God. We went to church, but I don’t remember anyone reading the Bible to us at home or talking about God, with us or with each other, outside of church. We prayed the old “God is great, God is good” standby prayer occasionally at mealtimes and “Now I lay me down to sleep” at bedtime, followed by a long “bless so-and-so” list that usually began with mommy and daddy and included the family dog, a pet cricket, and a wish for a new bicycle. My mental picture of God looked a lot like Santa Claus, a far-off benefactor.

In my teens I likened God to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or the head of the IRS. All-knowing and all-powerful, as Chief Justice, He ruled on whether my behavior lived up to His standards. As head of the IRS, He kept a running tab on whether my good deeds added up to more than my sins and failures. In “THE END”, where I spent eternity would all depend on whether I was in the red or black.

Thankfully, in my early twenties, I learned that both these mental images of God were wrong. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” While God IS our great benefactor, blessings stem from a genuine relationship with Him, one in which I am aware of His constant presence and care. It is a relationship that deepens and grows as I get to know Him better and love Him more.

And, although God does set standards for us to live by, Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” It is through faith in Jesus as our Savior, who paid the price for our sins, that we are forgiven. Taking that step begins the relationship with God that we so desperately need and determines where we will spend eternity—not our ability to rack up “goodness” points.

How has your mental picture of God changed throughout life? Reflect on some of the images that have become obsolete—that you have outgrown. How would you best describe Him now?

Be encouraged!

Pam

©2019 Pamela D. Williams

writepam71@gmail.com