Resources: Why develop a “clearer” image or picture of God?
A good friend of mine said, “Chris, why are you writing these emails? I don’t get it.” That was honest feedback.
If your picture or image of God’s character is fuzzy, you will be confused about what He might do or not do. If your image of God is dark, hazy or undefined you will have a difficult praying or talking to Him. If you image of God is distored by a bad Father figure, abuse or bad experiences in life… you may have struggles relating to God.
Jesus is God in human form. He came specifically to “reveal the Father” or to “make God known.” John 1:18
If your bring clear definition to Jesus you will find that several things happen:
Why Preach & Pray the Character of Jesus?
1. It drives the 1st Commandment!
In other words, identifying the good character of Jesus gives you specific things to enjoy about God. It gives you things to praise Him for! What do you think impresses your wife or husband or girlfriend/boyfriend more? Telling them what a great meal they made, what a nice car or home they have, what nice clothes they have or praising them for WHO they are? Praising them for how kind, generous, passionate and good they are?
Taking part of your prayer time to delight in your Father actually fulfills portions of the 1st Commandment to “love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength!”
2. A clearer and more “whole” image of God will naturally lead us to a stronger trust in God!
The more you understand that He is 100% good, 100% of the time… the more deeply and profoundly you can trust God!
Let me tell you what I mean. How are we to understand “fully” what Jesus says without a deep understanding of the One who said it? (i.e. His Character) The devil can say the exact same thing as God but it has 2 completely different impacts. We can misinterpret the Word of God (Bible) if we have a distorted or broken image of God. A clearer, more healthy image of God leads to a better understanding (interpretation) of what Jesus has said. Our entire interaction with the Words of Jesus becomes, more healthy, as we understand the Character of Jesus.
3. It helps you keep your heart alive and avoid burn out.
In Revelation 2:4 Jesus told the Ephesians, “You are doing a lot of good works, but you have forgotten Me as your 1st love.” Strangely we can get the 2nd Commandment in the 1st place. Sometimes it is easier to “knock out some tasks” rather than have a relationship with someone. It may be easier to do some good deeds than commune with the Master. We aren’t called to be great humanitarians. We have been called to 1st receive His love and then 2ndly to love others… specifically because He first loved us. (I John 4:19)
4. A clear image of God becomes the “couch” for the Word to “sit” in.
Let me tell you what I mean. How are we to understand “fully” what Jesus says without a deep understanding of the One who said it? (i.e. His Character) The devil can same the exact same thing as God but it has 2 completely different impacts. We can mis-interpret the Word of God (Bible) if we have a distored or broken image of God. A clearer more healthy image of God leads to a better understanding (interpretation) of what Jesus has said. Our entire interaction with the Words of Jesus becomes more heathys as we understand the Character of Jesus.
