What's in your wallet?

"What we believe about God is the most important thing about us." A.W. Tozer

Most of us carry pictures of family members in our wallets or purses. They're stored somewhere between our credit cards and driver's licenses, ready to be displayed whenever an opportunity presents itself. Proud grandparents show off cute baby pictures. A traveling businessman gazes at pictures of his wife and kids. Young couples in love long to be near their sweetheart in the photo. The pictures we carry are important because they represent the relationship and responsibilities in our lives.

All people carry a picture of God with them. Not a wallet-sized, glossy snapshot, but an impression in the mind and heart of who God is and what He looks like. Some people see Him as a warm, benevolent friend, while others view Him as an irrelevant religious concept. In either case, it's an image captured by personal experience.

Sometimes the pictures we carry are poor representatives of the actual person. Most people agree their driver's license mug shot is not the best photo ever taken of them. Pictures that are fuzzy or out-of-date are not accurate depictions of a loved one and therefore inadequately portray the relationship they represent.

Many people bear an out-of-focus or inaccurate picture of God. Religion can misrepresent God as being contained in ornate temples or church doctrines. Contemporary media often portrays God as boring, irrelevant, or even comical. The problem isn't in who God is; it's in the picture we carry of Him.

Here are some common misconceptions of who God is-

> Dear Old Dad. Sometimes people perceive their heavenly Father as a cosmic-sized reproduction of their own dad. The problem is that if their relationship with their earthly father wasn't good...they transfer those issues to who they see as their heavenly Father.

> The Force. "Use the force, Luke!" The Star Wars force is similar to some Eastern religions. Life energy is divided into good and evil, equal in power, but subject to an eternal struggle for balance. This impersonal power is thought to permeate the universe, but offers neither a love relationship nor a salvation that is secure.

> The Enforcer. Watch out, God's going to zap you with a lightening bolt! This maker-of-laws only cares if you obey the rules. He's a cosmic killjoy policing the world and He's get the last laugh. Such a picture leaves out the grace of God.

> The Big Guy in the Sky - The Man Upstairs. These are just two of the many cliches assigned to God that are rediculously inadequate. Whether viewed as a sugar-daddy, a Santa Claus figure with flowing white beard, or a distant king these caricatures never capture the awesome King of Kings and Lord of Lords God really is.

Before you decide God doesn't exist, at least find out first who you are rejecting. The real God is the giver of eternal and abundant life. He freely gives all the love and joy you can handle. Take a careful look at Him before you make a decision.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

Everyone carries a picture of God in their heart, but is it accurate? Creation, the Bible and the life of Jesus present the best representation of who God actually is and what He is like.

Question to Consider: What's in your wallet? How would you describe God?