” . . . the most portentous (significant) fact about any man is not what he at any given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. . . .”- A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (1978)
In Chapter 2 of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson states that we are not merely the byproduct of “nature” and “nurture”. What we will become also is determined by how we think about God. Our internal picture of God determines how we see everything else.
Pastor Batterson adds that most of our problems are not circumstantial. Most of our problems are perceptual. He asserts that our biggest problems can be traced back to an inadequate understanding of who God is:
“Our problems seem really big because our God seems really small. In fact, we reduce God to the size of our biggest problem (emphasis mine).”
If we have a low view of God, we’ll be filled with fear because our God is too small. If we have a high view of God, we realize that even our best thought about God on our best day falls exceedingly short of God’s true greatness. Pastor Batterson concludes:
“Maybe it’s time to stop creating God in your image and let Him create you in His.”
Today’s question: In what way(s) did your ministry downsizing or vocation loss affect your deep heart’s conception of what God is like? Please share.
Coming Monday: the latest Short Meditation- “Little Big Mom”
Tomorrow’s blog: “Are we there yet?”
