How do I see God? What do I think he expects from me? What is my attitude toward God?

Seven Misconceptions about God

  • Grand party pooper
    • We don’t want to do what was feel is right, but do it because we feel like we have to (may feel miserable or disheartened)
    • Affects: Prayer life – pray out of obligation
  • Santa Clause
    • Conditional – must be good
    • Affects: Prayer life – shopping list
  • Disinterested God
    • God only cares about wars and other large scale things, he doesn’t have time for our miniscule requests, hurt feelings, or confusion
    • We have to fight for attention
    • Affects: Intimacy with God – God cares about each minute detail of our lives
  • Perfectionist
    • Don’t think you will ever be able to please him or get his approval
    • Never feel like you are living up to his standards
    • Legalist attitude
    • God only wants us to confess our sins and start anew
    • God’s grace is sufficient – we don’t have to perfect
    • God is always smiling when he is watching us
  • The angry judge
    • We constantly feel guilty about our actions
    • God doesn’t want us to live under condemnation
    • No need to feel like we are judged every single day
  • Control Freak
    • We feel like we are puppets
      • Either we have no free will of our own or
      • There are so many rules that limit our own actions
    • Putting God in the driver’s seat of our lives ‘Frees us from the tyranny of our own selfishness’
  • God is religious
    • We rely on fitting a godly stereotype to feel like we are getting his approval
    • Ritualistic attitude
    • God values trust and obedience not rituals