Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Don't Judge Me, But.....

Okay, so I am going to share one of my "unspoken" New Year's resolutions with you. Remember? I have several resolutions that I keep to myself so if I don't keep them, you wont think I am such a big loser? Yeah, this is one of those that I am bringing out of the closet and into the light....if I don't keep this one, you will know it. So here it is: I desperately want/need to better understand the character/attributes/personality of God. Please don't judge me, because I am really ashamed to admit this, but I tend to view God more as a huge deity up in the clouds that is waiting to "smite" me than a loving God who has my best interest at heart. I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not the only one who feels this way.

I think because we know what Jesus went through for us on the cross, we minimize the fact that it was the Father who sent Him there...for us. It is easy to see Jesus as compassionate and loving because we know He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". Likewise, because of all the examples in the Old Testament of God's wrath, it is easy to view Him as a strict ruler instead of a loving God. Or maybe it's just me that thinks this way........

So, one of my goals for this year is to set allow the Holy Spirit to set me straight as to the character of God. I want to take off my old mindset and put on a whole new one. I know God is good all the time, but I want to know WHY that's true. I want to really KNOW Him. I want to know Him better than I know anyone....ANYONE. I want to replace my self-imposed ideas with the Truth of God's Word when it comes to who God really is.

Why do I want to do this?

So, I can respond to God out of love instead of fear. So I can talk to Him in truth. So He can tell me 'great and unsearchable things I do not know'. So He can TRULY be made known to others through me - if I don't know the true nature of God, how can I accurately explain Him to someone else? So that I can worship Him for who He really is........

When I Googled "The Character of God", I got 65,400,000 results. So, I KNOW I am not the ONLY human being on the face of the earth who is interested in knowing more about the character of God. So, over the next year (more or less), I will be posting about the character(istics) of God, the Father.

I hope I wont be boring those of you who have it all figured out ;-).

16 comments:

Lisa said...

Boring - NO WAY! I can't wait to hear how God is revealing Himself to you, and in turn to us. The scripture is clear, "If you seek Him you will find Him". Get ready for the adventure of your life!
-Lisa

Amanda said...

Beth,

There is NO WAY I will be bored about hearing how GOD WILL BEGIN to reveal His true character and nature to you. I can completely relate to what you have said (I believe it's because we both have the gift of prophecy...it's so natural to "SEE" the DOOM TO COME and let satan convince us that it is for US), but this past year I made a lot of headway in dispelling that myth. I was thinking when you mentioned Jesus vs. the Father and the way we view them, that Jesus told us that if we have "seen" HIM we have "seen" the Father. That's a good jumping place, don't you think? I'll be praying and looking forward to living vicariously through what you learn. I didn't mention it on my blog, either, but I'm planning to spend some "in depth" time studying the names of God this year, too.

God bless...and I'm glad I'm not "gettin on your nerves" anymore with my "outdated" posts.

Love ya,

Amanda

Anonymous said...

I'd like to point out that God the Father, God the Son(Jesus), and the Holy Spirit are one. So when God did something in the old testament that means all three did it. Three in one. That is hard to wrap our human brains around, but there it is. The trinity. You can not separate the one from the other. So you can't say that God did that but Jesus didn't because in reality the both did it. I hope this is understandable. Research it and not just on the net because it isn't all that reliable. Just thought to point that out since you say(at least it seems so with the way you wrote) that you believe they are separate from each other, which as I said, they are not. I hope this will help you and not confuse you any more than you might be, but I thought I should point this out if you don't already know about this. :D God Bless.

Anonymous said...

THe one above was for your Jan. 6, 2009 post. Sorry somehow I put it in the wrong post at least I think I did?? :D

Dionna said...

Wow - what a fabulous goal. And I just know that God is so excited about helping you meet it. :)

BethAnne said...

Anonymous,
You commented on the right post. I wouldnt say that I am confused, just have an error in my thinking. I am not confused about the Trinity at all. I realize that the God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three-in-one...I simply need to understand more about Who God is....Thanks for your comment.
Beth

Greg P. said...

You're not the only one that sometimes feels that God sits up on high and looks down at us with anger, waiting to smite. The nuns in catholic school put that image in my head and I've been fighting it ever since.

Remember that we serve a forgiving God. He doesn't look down at us with revenge in His heart. He understands why we think the way we do. If He were out for revenge, we would all be in hell by now.

BethAnne said...

You are right about that, Greg. We WOULD all be in hell by now....thankfully , He is forgiving AND patient.

Mari said...

I think none of us have it all figured out - so none of us should be bored!

Fran said...

Won't bore me one bit. I'm going to learn right alongside you.

Love,
Fran

Heather C said...

Wait a minute... there's someone who has it all figured out??? WOW! *grins*

Excited to see what your search reveals... and to learn from it as well!

ocean mommy said...

Are you kidding? Bored?!?!?! Never! And whoever it is that has it all figured out...please tell me so I can read their blog!!! :)

Love you girl
steph.

ocean mommy said...

Are you kidding? Bored?!?!?! Never! And whoever it is that has it all figured out...please tell me so I can read their blog!!! :)

Love you girl
steph.

Anonymous said...

What a great post...Your not alone..I think alot of people do things in or wonder things..for fear..instead of Love..My heart tells me Love..but like you said..I think everyone Fear's him because he talks of his wrath..Great Post!!!

Denise said...

i have so gone through this, but i didn't realize i didn't see or know God as he really is. that was a tough season in my life, because that God in a sense had to die to make room for who the one true GOD.
does that make sense?
well you are better off than me, to recognize it.
and if anyone thinks they have it all figured out.. they have another thing coming..humility. yep, i know that too, another hard but good season in my life.
may God go before you and show himself to you.

Alana said...

Sounds great, Bethanne! I look forward to reading those posts.