Rejecting the Lies About God, Replacing Them With God’s Truth – 2nd in a Series – by Charlene Quint

One of the most well-known theologians of the last century, A. W. Tozer, stated that what we think about God is the most important thing about us. Think about that. The most important part of who we are – our personality, our thought processes, how we make decisions, what we do with our life, how we treat others, what our relationships look like – depends on what we think about God.

What we think about God informs our relationship with Him and our relationships with others. If we think He is distant, uninvolved, and unresponsive, we will believe that He has no compassion for us and we are on our own. This inaccurate kind of thinking can lead to great anxiety: if God is not on our side or working for our good, then it’s all up to each of us to make life work. It can also result in a parenting and marriage style that is distant and unresponsive, lacking compassion, and leading to anxiety in our families. But if we view God as close by and rooting for us, we have the confidence that the all-powerful God is always near, that we can go to Him with prayer requests, and that He wants the best for us and will help us win our battles. With this accurate view of God, we also bring this idea of a loving, close relationship, in which we want the best for and help others, into our human relationships with our spouse, children, and others.

If we think God is a wrathful ruler, we may believe that Christianity is just a bunch of rules that should be followed. This kind of detrimental thought process can lead to legalism without compassion in ourselves and in our relationships. But, if we think God is a compassionate father rather than a ruling tyrant, we rest in his love and compassion, knowing that if we are acting in love, we are acting like our Father. With this beneficial view of God, we know that, while we make mistakes, we are becoming more like God when we strive to know Him and be more like Him. We are far more compassionate with others in our lives when we view God as compassionate with us.

If we believe that God is constantly looking for ways to punish us, we might think that every bad thing that occurs is God punishing us for something. This way of improper thinking can fill us with fear that God is mad at us, that we deserve whatever abuse we get, and leads to hopelessness. This can result in destructive human relationships in which some are always playing the “blame game” and looking for a “gotcha” moment, while others feel they deserve the blame and abuse they receive for failing to be perfect. However, if we believe that God is constantly looking for ways to encourage us and give us blessings, and that because of the Fall, we are in a spiritual battle and the Enemy is constantly looking for ways to derail us, we properly can attribute the good gifts in life to God, and the evil to the Enemy. With this proper perspective, we can properly prepare and equip ourselves for the spiritual battle. We also recognize that neither the “blame game” nor accepting abuse is healthy in interpersonal relationships. Rather, we have healthy relationships that are characterized by encouraging each other and establishing appropriate boundaries.

If we are of the opinion that God only loves us if we are “good enough,” we may believe that we must earn God’s favor and work our way into heaven. This line of inaccurate thinking negates the power of grace on the cross and causes us to forget how desperately we need Jesus. It steals the joy that only comes when one is so overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for His rescue mission on us that our only response is praise, worship, and doing kind things for others. If we think we must “earn” love, it results in human relationships that are not built on real love, but rather manipulative relationships in which affection is meted out or withheld based on how the other pleases or worships or is trampled on by another. But, if we know that God loves us no matter what, that we cannot earn our way to heaven, and that Jesus did all the work on the cross in the “Great Exchange” where we laid on him all our sins and He gave us His righteousness, we feel secure in the love of our Father God and understand how completely dependent we are on Jesus. When we fully understand the magnitude of God’s love and what He has done for us, the only appropriate response is praise, worship, and becoming His hands and feet, bringing love to earth, out of a grateful heart.

In this series, we will identify a few of the lies that we may believe about God, and the Truth that sets us free.

Lie: I’m insignificant. God doesn’t really care about me. He has bigger things to think about.

 Truth: God Thinks About You All the Time – He’s Crazy About You!

 So many women are under the misconception that we don’t matter to God. He has more important things to think about that my little life. He’s got the conflict in the Middle East, the Somalian refugees, the Turks and the Kurds, the world economy – that’s weighty stuff. My stuff is far too small to complain about or pray about. I don’t really matter all that much to Him – especially after all the wrong stuff I have done and the mess I have made of my life. I am a worm.

 The truth is that God is crazy about us!   He made us! We are his daughters! And like a loving father, He loves us, encourages us, cheers for us, teaches us, corrects us when we are off course, and thinks about us all the time! Nothing is too small for him. Yes, He is dealing with world peace, but because He is God, He is also very concerned with our lives.   Apparently, people in the time of Jesus had the same misconception. That is why Jesus encouraged us that the very hairs on our heads are numbered, and every sparrow is known to Him. (Matthew 10:29-31).

King David has my favorite passage about God’s thoughts about us. David knew that God was always thinking about him, and about us. What a wonderful, comforting thought that even when we are not thinking about our heavenly Dad, we are always on His mind, in His thoughts, pulling on the strings of His heart. We are Daddy’s girl.

How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you
. Psalm 139: 17-18

If you are a woman in domestic abuse or recovering from domestic abuse, know that God is for you, not against you. Know that you are important to the Creator of the Universe and He is head-over-heels in love with you! Know that God hates abuse and did not send it – abuse is the Enemy’s tool. God wants only good things for you and He is with you on your journey.

 Prayer: Heavenly Father, remind me that I am a precious daughter of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. When I have my doubts, remind me that I am your daughter. Thank you for always being with me – even if I don’t feel it all the time. I am grateful that You have a wonderful plan for my life, even if I don’t see it and understand it right now. Thank You for being crazy about me and never giving up on me, even when I have had my doubts about You. Thank you for the rescue mission that you are doing on me, bringing me from bondage to freedom, and from abuse to healing.

In the next article, we will look at a few more lies that women believe about God and the Truth about our Heavenly Daddy.