Most people desire a god who will give them only what they want. They want a small god!
Why limit God to your desires?
Many people say to God:
“God, be me! Do what I want, approve what I approve, like what I like, believe what I believe.”
Not only is this the height of egotistical self-centeredness, but it is small thinking.
Do you really want a god who is no more and no better than you? I don’t!
If God is not omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent …
… If God is not the alpha and the omega …
… If God is not in all, over all, and through all …
… If God is not pure, holy, and worthy of praise and obedience ….
Then, I have no desire for Him.
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Socrates taught, “Know thyself!”
I know myself and I can tell you this with absolute certainty, “I am NO god!”
If I am the very best God can be, then we are in deep trouble.
Moses said to God, “If the people say to me, ‘What is God’s name?’ What shall I say to them?”
God said to Moses, “Tell them, I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:13-14)
God is who He wants to be. He chose to be the creator of heaven and earth. He chose to be holy and pure! He chose to be the God of justice with a heart for the poor, lonely, and outcast!
He also chose to be a servant savior, dying for the forgiveness of our sins.
I love my neighbor, but I do not intend to die for his sins. In fact, dying for my neighbor’s sin is something I would never do, much less consider.
Jesus said,
“There is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.” John 15:13
If God was a mirror image of me or, perhaps you, would God be so merciful, so loving, so gracious, so forgiving?
Quit longing and stop searching, for a god who is just like you. He’d be a major disappointment to you and to the rest of us.
Good question. This early in the morning, it’s hard to think clearly, but your comment led me to try and sort out religious societies into two groups: (a) those which created their god in their own, human image, and (b) those which created a god not in their own, human, image.
The Egyptians looked to the sun. Eskimos made totem poles which stacked up half-human faces. Jews sought a messiah with temporal and military power.
Michelangelo gave God a human face and body. Clans and tribal groups around the world often created personal or tribal gods. The list goes on. The common denominator seems to be a god which has certain physical characteristics which can be described, clung to. Like Thomas, most humans will believe only what they can see with their own eyes. It’s difficult to believe without seeing, feeling, touching.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews12:1-3)
At the end of the day we are all people of faith, including people like Richard Dawkins who placess his faith in the unproven speculative science of evolution.
There are real things which cannot be proven. Your wife loves you! Now prove her love for you. The reality of her love is absolute, the proof of her love would never pass scientific standards.
Another key issue of faith lies in revelation. Christians believe God has revealed Himself to us. The Bible reveals a loving and merciful God who is far more loving than any one person or group of people could figure out on their own. it is easy to imagine a God who abhors sin, but who would ever imagine a God who would die for the forgiveness of our sins? People who only what God to be what they want do themselves a terrible disservice.