Who Is God to You?

We know that God is powerful, and will not suffer idols or lesser gods:

We know that God is patient:

We know that God is relational. He understands what we feel in our day-to-day lives, and He cares for us:

These are just a few of God’s incredible attributes. I could go on and on. If you are interested in learning more of God’s attributes and just what kind of Being He is, then the best place to look is your Bible. The whole book, from cover to cover, is the story of God and His marvelous plan. No matter what section you are reading, look for God’s fingerprints and see what you can learn about what sort of God He is.

For many of us who have been Believers for a while, some of these attributes become things that we know academically. But in practice, we tend to forget them.

I attended a women’s conference a few years ago and the speaker asked when we pray, how do we begin? What is the first thing we think of when we come to God? She gave a few examples, and I was ashamed to realize that the first thing I thought of when I began a prayer was “I’m sorry.” A sense of guilt seemed to cover any time spent with God. I immediately apologized for not praying enough, not spending enough time reading my Bible or thinking on good, holy things. It made me feel bad that I wasn’t doing good enough, which made me ashamed to pray, which only made me feel worse!

Friend, I want you to pause for a moment and think about this same question. Be honest with yourself. When you come to God in prayer, what is the first thing your mind goes to? Are you afraid of Him, as I was? Are you angry with Him over some situation in your life, or something that you feel is lacking? Are you bored with Him because you feel trapped in rituals and aren’t seeing any real, powerful change in your life?

He already knows these things. We just need to be honest with ourselves and admit when we’ve let lies about who God is enter our hearts. Figure out which lie is coloring your time with Him, and then go back to those attributes I listed, or seek answers in Scripture.

If you are afraid of God, know that He cares for you. He is a jealous God, but He chose you and loves you and isn’t waiting to smite you for messing up one too many times. He is patiently pursuing you, and is happy to hear from you.

If you are angry, tell Him! He can handle it! But then ask that He would quiet your angry heart, and show you the root of that frustration. Ask that He would remind you of the many ways He provides for you and cares for you, even when things are painful. And don’t let that anger drive you away from Him; pray that He would help you to trust.

If you are bored with Him, don’t give up on spending time with Him! Look into some passages that reveal God’s power and majesty, and pray that He would renew that sense of awe in your heart.

This is all about seeking to develop a real relationship with God. My pastor spoke recently about what it would look like to have a friendship-type relationship with Christ. That may sound cheesy, but it’s helped me understand how to grow my faith. How do you pursue earthly friendships? By spending time with that person, by listening to them, by being honest with them. After all, Jesus had friends here on earth! (And what an incredible picture that is – of Jesus with his friends, laughing over a meal, talking about nothing, just enjoying being together.) But you build friendship by getting to know someone. God already knows you fully. Spend some time getting to know Him.

I opened this article with a couple of examples of what people may say when asked “who is God?” Some of those answers are pretty bleak, and as a Christ-follower, may even be offensive to hear. But that is the reality for some people. We live in a world that is in desperate need of the real God of the Bible, not a patchwork god made up of what they think He is. Understanding who God really is, and then choosing to follow Him and devote your life to His ways, is the path out of darkness.

Now, changing hearts isn’t something we can do. That’s the job of the Holy Spirit. But helping break down misconceptions about who God is could be the push that someone needs to really investigate their own faith and Christianity. As we grow in our own understanding of who God is – as we use that to build a deeper relationship with Him – may that propel us to share this good news with others who desperately need it. May we grow to know and love God so much that we will say with Isaiah:

More from this author
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Encouraging Verses to Keep You Focused on That New Year’s Resolution
God Is Good All the Time - Yes, Even Then

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Bethany Pyle is the editor for Bible Study Tools.com and the design editor for Crosscards.com. She has a background in journalism and a degree in English from Christopher Newport University. When not editing for Salem, she enjoys good fiction and better coffee.