Have you noticed that God sounds like a person? Many people think of Him as an impersonal force of some kind. The God of the Bible is not only personal, but He sounds very interested in us, doesn’t He? Why would we be interested in Him? Consider what God wants to give you by being in your life:
Stability: God is reliable, always there, and willing to give you complete attention at any time.
Guidance: God infallibly directs you in the way you’d choose if you understood all the issues.
Protection: God keeps you as safe as you need to be, but He won’t keep you from challenges which will help you grow.
Adventure: God will put you on a track way beyond anything you could dream up for yourself–more interesting, satisfying and fulfilling. He will stretch you, but He knows and respects your limits at each stage.
Love: God is Someone who truly does care about you and wants you to reach all your potential. He won’t let you down or walk away–ever. (But if you choose persistently to reject Him, He will respect that.)
Empathy: God is Someone very kind who knows exactly what you are thinking and feeling and has been through human experiences and struggles. (More about that later.)
Peace: God can remove guilt, anxiety, stress, anger and frustration, and give you inner peace and even joyfulness.
Discipline: God will require a lot of you but empower you to achieve it. He will kindly show you your shortcomings, but also inspire, encourage, and give you ability to overcome them.
Respect: Above all, God respects your free will–your choice–and will not force you to do anything. He does not want to brainwash you, hypnotize you, or take away your individuality. You will have to work at staying close to Him, not at escaping Him. You can quit anytime!
Are you interested? Then the next step is to get to know how God looks at things. His perspective is different from ours and may seem strange at first. We’re going to use texts from God found in the Bible as a window into His thinking.