The Most Important Thing About You

Late one Sunday night, I received a phone call from a woman I had never met. I’ll call her Hannah. She had been receiving some information from the church I was serving but had not attended either a small group or a worship experience.

She asked a few questions about how long the church had been around, how many people came on a Sunday, and what kind of worship service we had.

I Don’t Go to Church

After answering her questions, she explained, “I’ve been reading your stuff, trying to get a feel for what kind of church this is. You know, I don’t go to church. There have been so many bad things that have happened in my life, it just feels like God is against me. I mean, my concept of God is someone that I am never enough for. No matter what I do, it is not good enough. If that is who God really is, someone who is against me and who makes me feel like I’m never good enough, I don’t think I can worship a God like that.”

I said, “Hannah, I don’t think I could worship a God like that either.”

“That’s what I don’t know,” she replied. “What is God really like?”

What is God Like?

Now, push the pause button. What would you say to her? How would you describe to her what God is really like?

Of course, that begs a prior question, “What do you think God is really like?

Everybody has a concept of God, from atheist to agnostic to avid believer. It’s usually a kaleidoscope of pictures and influences from your parents, a Vacation Bible School you went to once, a TV preacher with a permanent smile, that big, stone church on the corner, pictures of a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, a Christian friend who tried to convert you, the movie “Bruce Almighty,” a Jewish wedding you attended, the church lady next door who scolded you for breathing, a sleepy, overweight pastor, and the Hallelujah Chorus.

The Belief Effect

Various studies have been done among American high school students to determine what effect, if any, their beliefs about God have on their grades. Recent research found that “abiders,” students with a healthy, positive concept of God who engaged regularly in a faith community, did better in school, got along well with others, and had a high self-esteem. These kids were 1.5 to two times more likely to graduate from college. “Non-abiders,” students with a negative or poorly developed concept of God and no faith community, engaged in more self-destructive behavior, did not score as well in school, and had a lower self-esteem.*

(https://theconversation.com/what-do-students-beliefs-about-god-have-to-do-with-grades-and-going-to-college-172748)

A Christian counselor told a friend of mine that one of the first things he does when counseling with a person is to ask about his or her concept of God. The counselor said that gets at the root of spiritual and relational problems faster than anything else he could do.

Most Important Thing

A pastor friend of mine, Scott Larson, recently spoke about A.W. Tozer’s classic little book, “The Knowledge of the Holy.” In it, Tozer says, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

He called it the secret law of the soul. Our concept of God either reveals our true worth as precious children of a loving Creator who is always for us, or like Hannah, it leaves us feeling like enemies of a Cosmic Policeman who stands against us and constantly carps about how we are never enough.

Anyone who carries a concept of God that’s been shaped by an abusive parent, a bad church experience, a tragic loss or a deep injustice, will likely see God as uncaring, fickle, punitive, and absent. Although the origin of that image is understandable, the effects of it are disastrous. Such a concept of God predictably leads to negative self-talk, self-destructive behavior, bitterness and a sense of hopelessness.

Whatever we believe about God has a profound impact on who we are, what we deem right and wrong, how we relate to others, and what we will achieve in life.

One Word

Since what we think about God is so crucial to our well-being and the good of others around us, what is God really like?

For a Christian, that’s an easy one. We have a one-word answer: Jesus.

If we want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. What he said, what he did, how he lived, and how he died. He was the perfect reflection of our Heavenly Father in human form. Jesus was God in the flesh.

Jesus was loving, kind, truthful, prayerful, merciful, faithful, a healer, patient, pure, purposeful, powerful, gentle, joyful, graceful and enough – to name a few. Imagine worshiping a God like that.

Worship Worthy

In fact, that’s what Jesus desires. In his ultimate act of sacrificial love, he gave his very life so we could be set free from sin, evil and death and worship a God who provides forgiveness, holy love and new life.

Given the other options, the God perfectly reflected in Jesus is the only God worthy of our worship.

My new friend Hannah had no idea how important her question was for her life and future. Or maybe she did. Maybe that’s why she called a stranger on a Sunday night asking, “What is God really like?”

Regardless of how we answer that, it’s the most important thing about us.

*Research on High School students’ beliefs

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