In what ways must your god die?

Today in Bible Study we had another great discussion. As we were working through the book of Ephesians we came to 3:14-21. An amazingly rich prayer:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

One of the most difficult and absolutely essential steps in a healthy relationship with God is to simply accept the fact that "God loves me."

I've known too many people who for one reason or another can never accept this. They continue to climb the mountain of legalism and beat their head against a wall of self-hatred and a perpetual sense of failure. Their god is an angry god that is always disappointed with them. He is wrathful, and dangerous. Yes, he might save them -- but he'll never really love them. It's a miserable existence. I also know that all of us have an "imperfect" view of God. I will spend the rest of my life in the process of disovering a who He really is and getting rid of my own "ideas" of what He is like. In what ways is my view God flawed? Is there a false god that I'm living with?

How does someone serving a condemning and angry god get "unstuck"? How can their view of God become accurate and based on truth (rather than feelings or a culturally based view)? It's tough. The god of their imagination that has them imprisoned must die.

It must be replaced by the One that provides us with an identity, an inner strength, a growing view of His love, and the fullness of His Presence.

Make Paul's prayer of Ephesians your prayer for others and an expression of the God that you know and love. Then we will be able to spend the rest of our lives together with all the saints coming to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and being amazed again and again when we find that this love surpasses knowledge—being filled with His fulness and standing in awe that He can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us -- to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.