Two women were engaged in conversation over coffee at a café when the wall mounted television set interrupted them with breaking news of an earthquake tragedy. One woman responded with compassion and concern for the victims and their families and the other woman nonchalantly questioned why the people deserved such punishment from an act of God.
Both women were Christians who served faithfully in their church. So why were their responses different?
As a counsellor it is an immense privilege to enter another’s world and walk just a fraction of their journey with them. We often discover that a particular thought, feeling or behaviour is keeping that person stuck, resulting in slow progress or in going around the merry-go-round several times always ending up where they started. Through the process we discover the underlying belief that keeps the carousel of thinking, emotions and actions turning.
All beliefs impact a person either in a major or minor way.
A lot of people seek help when their lives are being impacted significantly and usually, distressingly.
However, most of us go about our daily lives not consciously aware of the myriad beliefs we have accumulated since birth. One of those beliefs is how we view God. A Gallup survey recorded in ‘America’s Four Gods’ by Paul Froese & Christopher Bader, revealed four distinct views of God’s personality and engagement in human affairs held by those who believe in God. They are:
- 1. The Authoritative God who is both engaged in the world and judgemental.
2. The Benevolent God who is engaged in daily life and non-judgemental.
3. The Critical God who is judgemental and disengaged from their lives.
4. The Distant God who is non-judgemental but who is disengaged.
What do you believe?
Is God mad at you, waiting to send divine punishment or is He good, loving, merciful and just? Is He a combination of both?
What you believe in your heart will determine your thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
One of the women in our story believed God to be loving Father and the other woman believed the ancient Greek’s view of God as judgemental, angry and detached from the world.
Last month (October 2013) I challenged you to be completely dependent on God. The extent that you become dependent will be directly related to who you believe God is and whether you trust Him with your own life and of those you love. “’I am promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, my love won’t walk away from you, my covenant of peace won’t fall apart.
‘The God who has compassion on you says so.’ Isaiah 54:9-10 MSG