Many sense there is a Being greater than them and is surely the best explanation of how the world came to be. It just takes too much faith for some to believe how children come into the world somehow evolved rather than was initiated into the grand event that it is. If we believe God is the reason for our existence we may be inclined to seek our Creator’s wisdom in how we should live life. If God can create surely God may have answers to why there is so much evil in the world and how I can best cope. Not all people when under duress call out to a supposed Higher Power but if you do, it may matter what you think God is really like.
I wonder sometimes if we would be better off without the Bible. Many may want to believe in a Creator but what others tell them the Bible says about our Creator is just too much to stomach. We all have a sense of what perfect parental love is, even if we did not always experience it. Similarly, our biblical interpretations and characterizations of God must be relational and rational to the human mind as we know what a loving God should be like.
It is said after death God tortures people forever for sins committed in a few short years here on earth. Who doesn’t know unending suffering is pointless as it doesn’t produce any good. The Greek word Gehenna in the Bible is wrongly translated into the English word Hell. The traditional meaning and understanding of Hell doesn’t exist in the Bible. God is not a sexist. God never said women should submit to men in a way men shouldn’t submit to women. God understood the dangers of such a belief by warning that men would try to “rule over women” (Gen: 3:16). God is portrayed as an egomaniac that created us to remind all how great He is or we can go to Hell. God like human parents simply encourages respect because parents desire the very thing deep down we want for ourselves. God may be who you really think He is despite what you have heard the Bible supposedly says.
Some may feel almost wired to believe in a loving Creator greater than them. They see how messed up the world is but this doesn’t necessarily lead them to reject God. But certain explanations or lack of answers may prevent the relationship from being as intimate thus helpful as it could be. “Why is this happening to me or my loved one” can sometimes turn into “why God do you not love me.” How we understand God’s role in suffering can determine how we handle suffering and benefit from a relationship with God in our greatest time of need.
Some may know God is their heavenly Parent as much as they know who their earthly parents are. If certain ways about my earthy parents are counterintuitive, I am less inclined to want to get closer or follow their lead. Even if my parents were perfect it is still not always easy to follow their wisdom, but at least the relational barrier is removed. Certain beliefs about God may hinder us from feeling more intimate with our Creator. When we feel deeply connected to our heavenly or earthly parents, we are more empowered and inspired to please them because we know they always have our best interest in mind.
The advantage of having a Bible is that certain truths are not always intuitive. The Bible tells us that we are made in God’s image. Such an understanding reveals that how I know I should treat my child is how God thinks toward me. God is not a representation of our earthly parents but the perfection of the human parents we have always desired. What beliefs do you have of your Creator that may hinder you from feeling more deeply connected? It may help to explore whether such understandings are true. God may be the kind of Parent you had always dreamed of or knew in your heart was true despite all the chaos in the world.
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 