Our picture of God is crucial in how we live our life. I have been reminded of it by attending a wonderful lecture recently on the nature of the Kingdom of God.
The single most important thing is our idea of God. We need a thoughtful, ongoing reflection on our idea and understanding of God. Who is God? is a very important question, and the answer to this question will ultimately shape our life, our choices, our ministry.
Many people have a vague, fussy, impersonal image of God; this leads to a vague, fussy, impersonal relationship with God. Some of us believe deep down within us that God is against us, that he has favourites, and we are not one of them. Others think we have to huff and puff to get God’s attention.
We always have to remember these four basic points about God:
- God is always greater; Psalm 145:3, 2 Chronicles 6:18; Acts 17:28. He is greater then our experience of him, our understanding of him. He is greater then our context. God is not British, American, African, Brazilian. Trevor, a pastor in a small church outside of Johannesburg, shared the class I was attending recently, and told a story of going to the football match in South Africa where for the first time in his life he was able to wave a flag. They did not have a flag as a nation before. But as he was there waving the flag vigorously, God spoke to him and said: “Don’t ever wrap me in the flag.” Our cultural context is very important in how we understand God, but it is not the only context and we have to remember that.
- God is Christ-like; John 14:8-10; 2 Corinthians 4:6, Col 1:15. It is so simple that we tend to undervalue and underestimate it. We are to take our ideas about God and to hold it in the light of Christ.
- God is available here and now; Matthew. 4:17, Matthew 6:9, John 14:15.
- God loves us and wants us to love him. Therefore “Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” Pedro Arrufe
Joanna has a passion for mentoring female leaders to become mentors for a new generation. She is a founding director of One Rock, a board member of Renovare UK, and an associate lecturer at Oasis College. In her spare time she loves taking photographs of nature, and playing with her cat Chester.