Once again during the drive between schools (a trip which may seem an obnoxious task but is proving to be a sweet time with my middle guy),Watts, the 4 year old, shared his deep theological thoughts. Thankfully again I didn’t miss it.
“Mommy, I want to go to heaven right now to see God.”
“Oh really? Why do you want to see God? Didn’t you tell me last week you didn’t believe in God? (truth. Not only did he tell me about his lack of faith, he told me he loved Satan…looking for attention, much?).
“I just want to see Him. I forget what He looks like.”
“Have you seen Him before?”
“Yea, I remember seeing him in that book where He looked like a grandpa. And then the time I was running and hit my head on another boy’s head and I went to heaven and came right back. And I saw God. And Jesus. And Jesus’s baby.”
“Jesus had a baby?”
“You know when Jesus was a baby. God was holding Jesus as a baby. But I still want to see Him because I’m forgetting.”
For the record, Watts has never had a concussion and I’m unaware of any visit to heaven. And I’m confident Jesus is not in his infant state while in heaven…because He is sitting (an impossible task for a baby) at the right hand of God and ascended into heaven as a 33 yr old man. Moving on…
But don’t we all long to see God? In your mind what kind of form does He take? How did you come to that conclusion? From Scripture? A book? A movie (anyone picturing Morgan Freeman?).
Do you remember the big controversy when “The Shack” came out? In this fictional work, the author personified God the Father as a woman?
We have ideas in our heads. We feel secure in the image we hold.
Whatever we visualize God to be, He is not, for we have constructed our image out of that which He has made and what He has made is not God. {AW Tozer}
Know God…is incomprehensible.
We must understand first and foremost in our study of God, that He cannot be fully known. If anyone sets up a secure concept of God, we know it is wrong…because we cannot reduce God to manageable terms.
Have you ever known a “labeler”? (raising my hand). In fact…confession time…I’ll label myself as a labeler. Trying to figure out if someone is an extrovert or introvert, sensitive or thick-skinned, choleric or melancholy, is a fun little game I play. Labeling helps me control the relationship (it’s sick, I know). By defining who that person is with labels then I’m not surprised by their behavior. Ridiculous.
But we do the same to God. Labeling and defining Him gives us a false sense of control. Helping us predict and deal with what could come from Him.
You may be thinking, “Um, Heather…isn’t your ‘Know God’ series all about learning more about Him and labeling God?”
That’s the point of this post, to clarify that God is beyond any defining. We must know Him by experiencing Him. The way to know God best is through the Holy Spirit (God in us, our personal counselor, right). The Holy Spirit disclose to us more about the Holy One. And of course through the Bible and reading about Jesus we can grasp a little bit more of God’s attributes.
“What is God like?” If by that question we mean ‘What is God like in Himself?” There is no answer. If we mean, “What has God disclosed about Himself that reason can comprehend?” there is, I believe, an answer both full and satisfying. For while the name of God is secret and His essential nature incomprehensible, He in condescending love has by revelation declared certain things to be true of Himself. These we call His attributes. {AW Tozer}
And so we will continue the “Know God” series, learning more about His attributes. Acknowledging God can not be put in a box. There is mystery because He is God and we are not. Amen.
Do you struggle with labeling? Even to the point of wanting to label God and put Him in a nice, neat box…may we break open the sides and let Him be God!
**For the book prayer team…heading to the Allume Conference this morning (in Greenville, SC). I will be meeting with my agent and connecting with friends and other authors. Would you join me in praying for safety as I travel (for me and the boys at home), for a guard over my mouth, to proclaim God over myself, and to be a blessing to those present. Thank you for walking this journey with me!
Umm, I struggle with labeling. It helps me build confidence when meeting new people. (Which is showing my lack of trust in God, that He is present in all situations…even in small situations that cause me anxiety.) Thank you for being faithful and writing this post.
I love your conversations with your boys. I can literally hear your voice when I read your words (a sign of a great writer. 😉 Hugs, friend.
This post is awesome! So authentic! I read the book The Shack. While I don’t agree with anything in there as far as doctrine, it really did help me shatter the image of God as a harsh and unavailable God. He is a loving God!
Aren’t the school run conversations precious. As a mother of four boys in 6 and a half years, it is nice to read someone else’s perspective on it. Blessings to you and your beautiful family.