Ep. 415 How Does God See You, and Why Does It Matter?

Shows Main Idea – Have you ever thought about how others think about you? I know you have because it’s a common impulse in all of us, though some folks overthink how they come across to others. It has too much control over their lives. What about you; what are your thoughts about God’s view of you? What do you think His opinion of you is? Did you know how you think God thinks about you is one of the most vital things you can think about?

Show Notes

You may want to read:

• A Practical Plan to Break Free From Being Controlled By Others
• The Danger of Trying to Please God and Gain His Favor
• Christian Legalism: People-Pleasing and Performance Traps

Trajectory Setting

How you answer the “what does God think about me” question is not just one of the most important questions for your consideration, but it also sets the trajectory for your life.

Whether you are an atheist or a seasoned believer, your life is defined by how you think about God. The reason for this is that God created us in His image. It does not matter if you believe in God or not, you are an image-bearer.

• The atheist says he could not care less about God’s views because he does not believe in God and lives his life accordingly.
• The legalist believes what he does or does not do alters God’s view of him, so he sets up standards he must live by to maintain God’s good opinion of him.
• The hard conscience person may believe in God but has hardened himself so he can continue in his sin while deceiving himself into believing that God is not aware of what he is doing.
• The weak conscience person has super-sensitive shame, fear, and self-imposed guilt, always thinking God is rarely pleased with him.
• The mature believer knows he is a sinner past, present, and future but is aware that his goodness or badness does not alter God’s perspective because he is in Christ.

What other kind of person would you add to this list? How does their view of God affect them? If you’re not on my list, will you answer the question about God’s view of you and how it sets the course of your life?

An Unpleased God

I asked a friend how God sees her, and without hesitation, she said, “Not good.” Her understanding of God is that God connects her behavior to His pleasure. If she is not performing to her perspective of God’s expectations, then the Lord is not pleased with her.

She does not understand the purpose and point of the gospel of Christ. It is not unusual for folks from conditional relationships, i.e., authoritarian fathers or legalist religious systems, to have a skewed view of God’s view of them. There are two common reactions:

• They work to please God while always living with a sense of never measuring up to whatever preconceived notions they have about God.
• They walk away from Christ altogether or make the “grace mistake,” people who use grace as an excuse to live how they want to live.

Call to Action

1. Orthodoxy Question: Who is God from your perspective? Be specific whether you are theologically accurate or not. The aim here is to be honest.
2. Orthopraxy Question: How does God view you? Again, be honest even if you’re off theologically.
   1. Describe how your view of God affects your life?
   2. What have been some of the primary shaping influences regarding your view of God?
   3. In what ways do you need to change your view of God?
3. Will you talk to a friend about this episode? Your friend must be theologically astute, and they can address any theological weaknesses you may have while providing sound solutions.

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Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).