Why You Probably Have A Distorted Image of God

Most of us did not have a perfect father nor a perfect childhood. Some of us actually had a terribly imperfect father and a very bad childhood. If your childhood experience fall anywhere in between these two categories ("not perfect" and "very bad") then chances are that you have a distorted view of who God actually is.

In our ministry we come across countless people including church leaders who believe things about God that are scripturally untrue. And when you investigate who their father was and how he treated them you soon recognise that their image of God closely resembles that of their earthly father.

Take for example this man whose father was emotionally absent. His father was physically present in his life but there was very little, if any emotional connection. This man now, although a committed christian who loves God, finds it difficult to experience intimacy with his heavenly Father, or truly experience His presence, God's loving embrace.

Why? Because his emotional definition of "father" has been already written into his soul as being someone who is distant and unable (or unwilling) to show fatherly affection towards his children (as in, "come here for a hug, Johnny" / "I am so proud of you, Johnny" / "You know, Johnny, you're my son and you make me so happy", etc.)

Take for example, someone whose father constantly disciplined them harshly. They will not easily experience a loving Father God. They will see God the Father as always slightly disapproving of them and may follow a legalistic christian life, afraid of punishment or rejection by God.

Then you also have some who had a physically absent father, perhaps they were born illegitimate or were left behind after a divorce and the father was never around. Even as a christian, I have found that some who fall into this category, become people who desperate seek for approval and affirmation because they never had this as a child from a father figure. I have met people who constantly feel the need to show that they are doing something great for God in order to get validation that they really are "good". But, really, all they need is the truth that in Christ, the Father has already made them perfect in His sight (Ephesians 1:3-14.) They can rest and know that He loves them just as they are.

This truth about the true heart of God as a Father springs to mind,

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. - Psalm 27:10

You can go only so far in your christian life with a distorted image of Him as a Father but there comes a point that you will hit a ceiling because,

"... true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit,and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:23-24

When we worship God we need to worship Him as He is in truth, not as He is in our imagination.

I was once ministering to a young man who had been experiencing many problems, both mentally and spiritually, and he told me that he felt as if God had teased him by dangling an opportunity for full time ministry in front of him, only to quickly yank it away from him and he was feeling angry towards God. Hearing this, to me, it was obvious that this young man had an issue with who Father God is.

He had fallen for the same distorted image that Job had of God (Job 1:21): that God "gives and takes away" as if toying with us. Note, this is what Job said and he was wrong. It was the devil who just robbed Job, not God. Instead, it is written about the Father:

He who did not spare his own Son,but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? - Rom 8:32

and,

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

If we want to walk into all that God has for us in Christ, we will need to deal with the lies that exist in our image of God. If we don't deal with these we will also affect our children and our loved ones around us. We may just become like our earthly father to our children.

That is why as one of the things we do at Passion of God Ministries is to help people identify their wrong images of God, making a list of the lies that exist in their hearts about who God is. We help them remove these point by point, replacing them with truth from the Scriptures that reveal our Heavenly Father's true image. This sets people free and ushers them into the manifest Presence of the Father Who is pure love (1 John 4:8b)

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.." - John 8:32

If you wish to speak to us about the issues discussed in this article or need help with any spiritual matter, please do not hesitate to contact us here.