Comparing God to people

Sometimes I miss God. Even though He’s everywhere

For me, feeling God's presence is like being wrapped in a big warm comfy hug ALL THE TIME. It’s the best. 

Except when I, ‘don’t have time,’ or I’m, ‘too busy.’

And then that’s when I start to miss him. My heart aches for just a little bit more time with him, one more word from him, five more minutes hiding away from the world resting in his comfort and stability. Because even when my entire world is falling apart, even when everything is turned upside down, when I get away with him to a quiet place, I find safety. He steadies me.

Sometimes I’m feeling convicted and a voice in my head tells me I have no right to stand before my heavenly father.

I think that sometimes the thing that keeps us from God, creates a distance between us, is us having a distorted view of who God is and who He says that we are.

Ann Voskamp said, “Why do we continue to fight God and lash about in His grasp like He’s a big Taker instead of a Giver? What is it we think He’s trying to rob us of? To whom have we compared Him so that we’ve assumed we cannot trust Him?”

To whom have YOU compared God to that distorts your view of who He actually is and how He actually responds to you?

God doesn't throw us under the bus! He isn't a nagging, constantly criticizing God who hands us an enormous list of our sins and says, "Fix all of these things about yourself and then we'll talk."

 No my God is kind. My God is loving. Though He sees my sin He never condemns me. He never heaps shame on me or makes me feel like a failure. 

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
 Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

Instead, He lovingly takes my hand, lifts my head that is hung down in defeat and says, "You are not alone. We are going to do it together. Trust me and I will do the work of making you more like me. Just stay close to my side."

Sometimes Jesus says to me, “I love you,” and I think, “Really Lord? Do you know me? Because I want to punch that guy who just cut me off in traffic, sometimes I choose sleep over bible reading, and I often get frustrated and don’t use my words in the most loving way. Not to mention that my scripture memorization is laughable and sometimes I let fear get the best of me." I’m a mess.

The temptation is always to save ourselves, try to clean ourselves up and THEN Jesus will love us right? But Jesus loves messes.

He loves when we acknowledge how broken and desperately in need of Him we are. God can do amazing healing work in our lives, and the best place for him to do this is right in the middle of your mess, your failure, your weakness, your insecurity, your doubt, your frustrations and fears.

It is a beautiful thing when we take all of ourselves, the parts we like and the parts we don’t like, our hurts, and trials and experiences and lay them at the foot of the cross. It is a beautiful thing when we are open and vulnerable with others, allowing them to see what God can also do with their messes. 

God is not surprised that we are messes, He knows our hearts inside and out.

He understands that our world sometimes taints our view of Him. Before I accepted Him into my heart and life, I had a very skewed perception of Him. My labels for God were, finger pointer, lightening bolt thrower, harsh, angry, critical, demanding, judgmental, unloving and uncaring.

Not such a pretty picture huh? Who would want a God like that? I sure didn’t.

I think that this is the view a lot of people have of God. And that makes me so sad, because I spent a lot of time running from a God that I thought I knew when my loving Father was waiting there the whole time with arms wide open. 

And God knows this. He is aware of all the things that my heart needs Him to be for me. He knows all of the things I thought Him to be that He is now proving He’s not.

He knows that I need him to be my dad. I need him to be my protector. My comforter. My redeemer. My healer. My friend. My counselor. My peace bringer. My refuge.

Now I know a God who’s heart overflows with love and grace. I know a God who is not only righteous and strong, but also gentle and kind.

Just like we put wrong labels on God, sometimes we put wrong labels on ourselves. But no matter what labels we stick on ourselves, the only ones that matter are the ones that He gives to us.

Precious daughter.

Sought after.

 Unblemished.

Beloved.

His.