What is God like?

Many people claim to believe in 'God', but have never cared to investigate what this God is actually like.  It is easier to keep Him in a box marked, 'For Personal Crises and Public Holidays Only'.  Why do we prefer to keep our understanding of God in this box, and never allow our old opinions to be challenged?  The truth is that many of us suspect that if we let the genie out of his bottle, the first thing he'll do is make us feel worse about ourselves than we do already. 

It is often a surprise to discover that some of the prejudices we have had about God - even those formed in our youth and by our parents - are just not true.  God is many things: perfect, fair, and powerful for a start. But the reason He is trustworthy is that He is GOOD.  He has chosen to reveal himself as a Father to us. Not the kind of distant, indifferent and temperamental father that many people have, but an available, interested Dad who wants the very best for us.

How do we know he is good?

For a start he carefully created us because he wanted us to enjoy the fun, love and goodness of his life. Humans, however have consistently rejected God and the result is a pretty messed up world that is suspicious of the very One who has the power to fix it. We know God is good because he wasn't content to watch us screw it up, but became a man called Jesus, and suffered death so that we could share in the goodness of his life again.

You might say, 'How can God be good? My parents died painfully of cancer ... I've been hurt over and over again by people I trusted...'  We all have physical or emotional injuries that we could attempt to use as proof of God's indifference.  It's not that God lacks the power to heal these wounds, but his love for us goes beyond the surface.  He refuses to make us love him, because he knows that forced love is not true love. He will not interfere with our free will, even if it means he has to allow us to hurt one another and live in the fall-out of our own selfishness.  However we know that he is still good because he never leaves us alone to deal with the pain. However, we have to let him into our lives and trust his goodness to be carried through such trials.

Do not be afraid

When someone becomes a Christian, their life does not necessarily get easier. People who follow Jesus still suffer, but because they know and trust God, they do not have to be afraid of tomorrow.  In CS Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the four children ask the beavers about Aslan.  They assume that since he is the king, he will be safe, even though they have just been informed that Aslan is a lion.   

"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will dearie and no mistake," said Mrs Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.

"Safe?" asid Mr Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. but he's good. He's the King I tell you."

It's the same with God. Life as a Christian is not always cosy, but if you let him into your life you can always trust his goodness.

Find out more about the goodness of God towards you here. If you want to read more about what a Christian is, click here.