Month: November 2019

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Jason’s Truth

“Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” -Yeshua (Jesus), Matthew 16:18b 

I admit, the implication of the above quote was lost on me for a long time. It’s a segment of a conversation between Jesus and his rambunctious disciple Peter. It’s sandwiched right between Peter’s victory moment of correctly identifying out loud that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah (vs.16), only to lose sight of that in the next few moments and be rebuked with a stern “get behind me Satan!” (vs.23). These high drama moments would grab my attention, and if I did read the bridge between them, I would then be lost in trying to prove that the “rock” the church is built upon is not Peter himself, but his confession of the nature of Christ (vs. 17-18). With all this, I stumbled past the simple truth that would radically shift my faith walk and send me on a completely new path. 

You see, being raised a believer, I spent much of my life with an “us against them” mentality when it came to matters of faith. I had internalized the idea that Christians are under attack on all sides, so I should greatly fear being compromised, deceived, or defeated. Because of this, I would only feel safe amongst other completely like-minded believers, and I put high importance on not being tarnished by the world; seeking to avoid it at all and every cost. I went through phases of being terrified by secular music or television, demonic activity that could be found in party environments, or even playing Pokemon cards. 

Anything outside of a western Christian perspective was dangerous and potentially deadly, and anything popular must be the result of a deep-seated and demonic conspiracy. In all honesty, as an older teen maintaining this level of vigilance and fear within my faith became exhausting and deeply discouraging. It felt that God had abandoned us to a world of constant attack, and the penalty of a slight stumble or fall would be total annihilation. The power of Satan felt insurmountable and the path to redemption felt almost impossible. The mindset of keeping one’s head down and muscling through to the end of this life thing while keeping your fingers crossed that you would earn heaven became my MO. Little did I know that THIS was the deception; this whole concept was a trap that robbed me of life abundant. 

While pursuing a degree in theology, I began to actually read the teachings and stories in the Bible, and at the encouragement of some phenomenal teachers, I did so without the baggage of any particular perspective. Instead, I allowed the world and motivations of the writing to speak for itself. To my surprise, I did not see the terrifying world I had imagined when listening to various sermons over the years, but instead a gospel so sweet that it defied the mind. I saw a God so loving and passionate that the title of Father was not only fitting but natural and an astounding standard to inspire awe and to be revered. It was at this time that I re-encountered the above text and became floored by it’s simple and readily apparent meaning: When the Messiah depicts the nature of the church, the community of believers, they are not playing defense, but OFFENSE. Not against other people, but against the power of the enemy itself. 

Nobody carries a set of gates into battle to do war, but erects them outside a territory as protection. The imagery Jesus pulls from does not display the church as setting up gates of defense to hide behind for escape but showcases that hell itself is seeking protection from US. We are not saved through a test of endurance to be challenged by the world and reach some quota of righteousness by the end, but are birthed into a Kingdom that empowers us to storm the enemy camp on a mission of rescue. We are not the defeated, we are the conquerors. We don’t fear the darkness, for we are the light. The goal is to be immersed and spread amongst the world, not to run from it. To engage humanity and bring light to the fallen, to the hurting, to those trapped in darkness and death. Not with just a message, or recruitment to a side, but with LOVE. Spoken, yes, but also lived out through compassion and justice. The gates of darkness will not overpower us, so how can we fear? 

I put away my defensive weapons of judgment and fear. I picked up understanding, compassion, and empathy. I began to see others as people just like me. Who hurt, and were afraid, clinging to their own version of “us against them”. Now that I had tasted reconciliation and peace, I only sought to share it and set my fellow prisoners free. 

THIS is the church. This is what it is to believe. We have tasted, and seen. We now showcase and share in love. Hell doesn’t stand a chance. 

Jason Francis is a single father of three who has a passion for young people and showcasing the gospel to the unchurched. He is the leader of Kinetic (iamkinetic.org), an independent ministry dedicated to inspiring every believer to recognize and unleash their God-given potential to transform the world. Jason longs to see the birth of a new and simple church that is relevant and accessible to the average person of this generation. 


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Spirituality Vs. Religion

Now that you’ve established your thoughts regarding religion and its place in the world, it’s time to think about the “Spirituality vs. Religion” debate and what that means for you. We’re sure that you’ve heard people say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Nowadays, an increasing number of people use that phrase as a way of challenging the idea that organized religion is the only or the most valuable way to further spiritual growth. Historically, the words religious and spiritual have been used interchangeably to describe all the various aspects of the concept of religion. Recently, however, spirituality more often refers to the interior life of the individual, emphasizing a personal relationship with God or a higher being and personal exploration/growth/conviction, while religion generally refers to organizational or communal culture and doctrinal beliefs. So which is better? Or does it matter?

Here’s what we know:

  1. Spirituality is “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.” “Religion” usually refers to “a particular system of faith and worship,” but it can also be broadly defined as “[t]he belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.”
  2. According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2012, the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion increased from 15% in 2007 to 20% in 2012, and that number has continued to grow. One-fifth of the U.S. public and a third of adults under the age of 30 were reportedly unaffiliated with any religion but identify as being spiritual in some way. Of those religiously unaffiliated Americans, 37% classified themselves as spiritual but not religious, while 68% said they did believe in God, and 58% feel a deep connection to the Earth.
  3. Linda A. Mercadante categorizes people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” into five distinct categories (Mercandante, Linda A. (2014), Belief without borders: inside the minds of the spiritual but not religious, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, p. 35-67):
    1. “Dissenters” are the people who, for the most part, make a conscious effort to veer away from institutional religion. “Protesting dissenters” are those who have been ‘turned off’ by religious affiliation because of adverse personal experiences with it. “Drifted Dissenters” refers to those who, for a multitude of reasons, fell out of touch with organized religion and chose never to go back. “Conscientious objector dissenters” refers to those who are overtly skeptical of religious institutions and are of the view that religion is neither a useful nor necessary part of an individual’s spirituality.
    2. “Casuals” are the people who see religious and/or spiritual practices as primarily functional. Spirituality is not an organizing principle in their lives. Rather they believe it should be used on an as-needed basis for bettering their health, relieving stress, and for emotional support. The spirituality of “Casuals” is thus best understood as a “therapeutic” spirituality that centers on the individual’s personal wellbeing.
    3. “Explorers” are the people who seem to have what Mercandante refers to as a “spiritual wanderlust”. They find their constant search for novel spiritual practices to be a byproduct of their “unsatisfied curiosity”, their desire for journey and change, as well as feelings of disappointment. Explorers are best understood as “spiritual tourists” who take comfort in the destination-less journey of their spirituality and have no intention of ultimately committing to a spiritual home.
    4. “Seekers” are those people who are looking for a spiritual home but contemplate recovering earlier religious identities. They embrace the “spiritual but not religious” label and are eager to find a completely new religious identity or alternative spiritual group that they can ultimately commit to.
    5. “Immigrants” are those people who have found themselves in a novel spiritual realm and are trying to adjust themselves to this newfound identity and its community. “Immigrants” can be best understood as those who are “trying on” a radically new spiritual environment but have yet to feel completely settled there. It is important to note that for them, although they are hoping to become fully integrated in their newfound spiritual identities, the process of acclimation is difficult and often disconcerting.

Spirituality and religion are both difficult to box into just one perspective or way of thinking. It seems that many people struggle to nail down and define exactly what they believe, even those who belong to organized religious structures. There are many people who label themselves something, but when they really have to think about it, they find themselves explaining the aspects of that belief system or ideology that they don’t necessarily agree with. There are also people who don’t label themselves or subscribe to anything at all, and subsequently “get lost in the sauce,” i.e. they don’t have any sort of foundation to ground themselves in.

No matter what you call yourself, the important thing to remember is who you are, the kind of person you want to be, what you stand for, and why. If your religion or your spirituality or lack thereof aren’t making you a better person and inspiring you to have a positive impact on the world around you, that’s what you should consider re-evaluating. Having a community to hold you accountable can be beneficial, but if you aren’t motivated to hold yourself to a certain standard regardless of who you think may be watching, how effective can you say that community is? And who says it has to be one or the other? If the goal is personal growth and accountability, the way you pursue that may be less important than the pursuit itself.

What do you think? Is spirituality or religion preferable to the other, or are they really the same thing? If you consider yourself to be “religious,” what does that mean to you and why? If you consider yourself to be “spiritual,” what does that mean to you and why?

Further Reading:
Are there dangers in being “spiritual but not religious”? by John Blake

Criticisms of Spirituality without Religion:
Viewpoint: The Limitations of Being ‘Spiritual but Not Religious’ by Rabbi David Wolpe
Spiritual But Not Religious – Not so Fast! by James Martin
Spiritual but Not Religious: The vital interplay between submission and freedom by Amy Hollywood

Criticism of Organized Religion:
Criticism of Religion Wiki (links to a variety of sources on a wide range of criticisms regarding several different religions)
Problems of Organized Religion by Paul Brunton
A Historical Outline of Modern Religious Criticism in Western Civilization by R.G. Price

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What Role Does Religion Have in the World?

We’ve reached the point where we discuss a topic that most people have opinions on but they either don’t like to talk about or can’t talk about without arguing: Religion! Right now, more than 75% of the world’s population is a part of some religious community. The word “religion” is perhaps derived from the Latin word “religare”, meaning “bind together”. Historically, one positive aspect of religion has been its ability to unite people in common beliefs and practices for a shared common goal. However, that unity has also been known to become warped, with religion being used to justify doing harm rather than good. So what does that mean for us? Is religion good, bad, irrelevant, or obsolete?

Here’s what we know:

1. No one really knows where “religion” originated. According to anthropologists John Monaghan and Peter Just, “Many of the great world religions appear to have begun as revitalization movements of some sort, as the vision of a charismatic prophet fires the imaginations of people seeking a more comprehensive answer to their problems than they feel is provided by everyday beliefs (Monaghan, John; Just, Peter (2000). Social & Cultural Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 126).”

2. Religious development has taken different forms in different cultures. Some religions emphasize practice, while others emphasize beliefs or doctrines. Some religions prioritize people having their own personal (subjective) religious experiences, while others consider the activities of the religious community as a whole to be the most important thing. Some religions claim to be universal, believing their laws must be (or eventually will be) followed by everyone, while others are designed to only be practiced by a select group (Monaghan, John; Just, Peter (2000). Social & Cultural Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 124).

3. Anthropologists John Monoghan and Peter Just also state that “it seems apparent that one thing religion or belief helps us do is deal with problems of human life that are significant, persistent, and intolerable. One important way in which religious beliefs accomplish this is by providing a set of ideas about how and why the world is put together that allows people to accommodate anxieties and deal with misfortune (Monaghan, John; Just, Peter (2000). Social & Cultural Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 124).”

Very few human communities have existed without some sort of religious belief system being incorporated into their culture. Although many people would deny that they are religious, with an estimated 4,200 different religions currently in practice worldwide, others would argue that religion is as intrinsic to human beings as is breathing.

What do you think? Do we need religion? If so, why? If not, why? Is there a way to incorporate the good things religion has to offer into our lives without taking on the bad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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You’re Worth It

Being a mom and a wife isn’t easy. If marriage isn’t complicated enough, adding kids and the military to the mix leads to a whole other mess of problems! I got married and had my children when I was still pretty young. Over time, I’ve learned how being a wife and mother increases the chances of losing your identity, or rather, not even realizing you have an identity because it gets lost in the daily hustle and bustle of caring for everyone but yourself. 

Growing up in church and in a God-fearing home, I was raised to always go to God first for everything. But then I grew up and life hit me at full speed. Before I knew it, I had a baby, a husband who was traveling the world with the military, and no sense of self. I was alone in a brand new place with no family and no desire to make new friends. I didn’t have anyone to tell me that I may be suffering from postpartum depression, so I just spent years in a dark and low place, wondering…why? Why did I feel so lost? Why wasn’t I thriving like some of my peers? 

Why did the darkness feel so hard to come out of?

My vision of being a wife and mother was nowhere near my reality. I constantly told myself that I wasn’t good enough, even occasionally questioning the reason I was alive. However, with time, I have learned to give myself grace. I expected so much out of my life while putting in so little. I wanted to have it all, but poured hardly anything into myself. Then I beat myself up because I was not where I wanted to be. It was like being in an abusive relationship with my subconscious. I had to wake up and get out! I also had to accept the fact that even though I’m not always where I want to be, it’s alright, because I’m right where God wants me to be. 

God put me on this planet for a reason and my purpose is in the process of being fulfilled. All the hurt, pain, and darkness were for growth. It took a while to get here, but ever since I allowed God to pull me out of my depression, my focus has been self-care. I’ve learned that when I’m at my best, everything else will follow and fall into place. If you’ve ever been on an airplane, you know that they tell you that in an emergency, you have to put your oxygen mask on before you can help anyone else. You can’t help anyone if you’re passed out, and you being passed out only makes things more difficult for everyone else. I think the same applies to life. When you feel like you have to meet all of your husband’s needs, make sure your kids are being poured into, and that your house is immaculate to the point that it feels like you’re drowning in tasks, remember to put the oxygen mask on yourself before anyone else. They need you to be awake and present, not drowning! 

So to all the moms and wives out there who sometimes get overwhelmed like I do, I just wanted to remind you that self-care is so important and you’re worth it. It’s okay to take some time for yourself, whether that means locking yourself in the bathroom to take a bath and read a good book uninterrupted, waking up an hour early to get in some yoga or meditation, or even going out and starting a kickball league with other moms. Whatever “fun” may be to you, find it and carve out some time for yourself every week and see how different your life will be in a matter of months. Also, don’t forget to take time daily to talk to your Creator and ask Him to pull you out of the darkness, however deep you’ve fallen, and show you the happiness you have been craving. Pour into self, and God will pour into you! 

I’m still a work in progress, but ever since I started following this plan, I’ve been happier than ever! No longer a “homebody,” I’m out making new friends, going to networking events, and working constantly on personal development. My kids see and feel the difference it has made, and they are also so much happier AND they are more behaved (moms know how amazing that is lol). It’s a win-win all around, and I hope any mamas and wifeys reading this can be encouraged to find their peace and happiness, too. I’m rooting for you. You got this! 

Tricia Bowman is an Entrepreneur, 
Personal Trainer, Mentor, and Bodybuilder. Also a mom of 3 and a military wife, she is excited to use her experiences and her gifts as a way of sharing the awesome love of God! 


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David’s Truth

by David Baxter

Hello, my name is David Baxter. I was born in 1956 to an interracial couple in the City of Detroit, MI. Growing up amidst the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements while having a Caucasian woman as my mother made my adolescent years extremely challenging. It became clear to me that being fully accepted into the society I lived in was never going to happen. Even excelling athletically (I was the 61st player selected in the 1978 NBA Draft) could not get me over the hump. After a brief professional career, I retired and used drugs and alcohol to mask the pain caused by years of rejection.

In 1984, a high school friend shared his faith in Christ with me and after a few Bible studies, I became a Christian, too, and I was baptized. That suppressed my pain for a while and I served faithfully in my church for 30 years, only to reach a place where I discovered that I had more questions than the church’s teachings had answers. My faith gave way to doubt and my uncertainty in God’s love for me led me to choose the path of the prodigal son, and I ended up going to a proverbial “far country.”

While I was in the “pig pen” expecting God’s wrath to come in whatever form, even illness or death, I waited…and waited…and it was there that I actually discovered His mercy. Whether I stayed in the “miry clay” or returned to “my Father’s house”, He revealed to me that His love has no conditions. That revelation freed me, and I chose to return to my amazing wife and children. My family also embraced me for who I was, a flawed human being. Their capacity to forgive me and love me through my healing as they were going through their own healing processes helped me to see in them something I’d never seen before: the love of God with no conditions.

I now have a newfound hope and renewed purpose and I can say, like God’s servant Job in Job 42:5, “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you.”
Thank you, Father. Thank you, Renée. I love you.

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Does Earth Reveal Anything About God?

Most people who believe in God or a higher power believe that God’s power has been revealed through the intricacies of the world we live in and the creatures who inhabit it, humans included! However, some scientists argue that evolution is responsible for the world as we know it. So what’s true?

Here’s what we know:
1. The theory of evolution refers to a process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
2. An estimated 8.7 million species live on earth (read the article for yourself here). There are 5,416 different types of mammals, 228,450 types of sea animals, 9,000-10,000 types of birds, 391,000 types of plants (369,000 being flowers), and 60,000 types of trees.
3. Science does not, in fact, disprove the existence of a creator God.

Science and the earth are both so vast and complex that it is possible to make a case for many different theories. It all boils down to a person’s premise, i.e. whether or not that person believes in God, because that’s the lens that person will be interpreting evidence through. If you don’t believe in God, there are arguments to be made for why our existence can be explained without relying on a creator. And if you do believe in God, there are arguments to be made for why our existence as we know it would not be possible without intervention from a higher power. The important thing to remember is that your opinion should be evidence-based and even though your evidence may not be enough for someone else, that’s okay.

What, if anything, do you believe creation reveals about God and why? Why do you think so much diversity exists and do you think humanity’s diversity reflects the diversity found in other species? What, if anything, does that diversity say about God? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Relationships are like…Group Projects

By Kara M. Young

Do you remember group projects in school? Maybe you’re still in school and you still have to do them. If you’re anything like me, you think group projects are the worst! A project that might have been easy to do on my own would suddenly become complicated with the introduction of another person and the process of figuring out how to split the work. The only saving grace would be if my partner turned out to be someone who was competent, reliable, and who helped make the finished product better than it would have been had I done it on my own. And I think the same concept applies to relationships.

Let’s imagine that life is the project. You’re working on it, getting things done. You have your friends, family, teachers, etc., to help guide you and support you along the way, but the project is ultimately still yours. Then one day, you decide you want a partner…and that’s when it becomes really, really important to understand not only how serious that decision is, but also the purpose and intention that has to go into making it.

Creating an awesome “project” requires time, hard work, vision, and consistency. Once you become an adult, accomplishing your goals, figuring out what you want and where you want to take your life is totally up to you because you’re in charge and the only person you have to worry about (from a romantic standpoint if not from a practical standpoint) is yourself. When you start thinking about taking on a partner, one of the most important questions you’ll want to ask yourself is, “Why?” Do you want a partner because you don’t want to work on your project alone? Do you want a partner because other people have them and it looks like working on your project with someone could be fun? Or do you want a partner because you know who you are, what you want, where you’re going, and you’ve found someone who pushes you to better yourself in every way? Do you want a partner because you’ve found someone who is competent, reliable, and who helps make your life better than what you could create on your own?

Asking yourself those questions is important because a good partner is more than feelings or attraction. You can love your best friend and still not want to be partners with your best friend because your best friend is bad at projects. You can think someone is good-looking and still not want to be partners with that person because they’re bad at projects lol. You have to go into looking for a partner really thinking about it as a life partnership rather than something that’s just supposed to feel good or attempts to live up to a fairy tale version of what love is. Further, viewing your relationship as a potential life partnership makes it easier to focus on whether or not a partnership actually works instead of ignoring red flags or glossing over issues because you want to make it work. Why force a partnership that’s not going to produce a great project when you can focus on creating the best project you can unless/until someone comes along who can make you AND your project better?

I’m saying all this to say, you’re awesome. You’re capable. You’re here and you can put in the work to create the life you want for yourself. When you believe in your worth and the value you bring to a partnership, you know that you can’t partner up with just anyone and that’s not a bad thing. It may take some time, but if/when the right person comes along, you’ll see that a “group project” can actually be fun, and the outcome just might end up being better than you could have ever hoped for.

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First-Time Fatherhood

Since the birth of our son, quite a few people have asked me, “How does it feel to be a father?” and I’ve never had a real answer. I’ve always said something along the lines of, “I don’t know,” or “I’m still processing it.” To be honest, at the moment of writing this, I still don’t believe I have an answer to that question, yet here I am writing on fatherhood, writing an answer to the question I’ve dodged for the last 3 months. So how do I feel? I have given it quite a bit of thought and there are a few feelings that I can point to.

The first emotion I’m working through is scared. I’ve always wanted to be a father, but I never truly understood the gravity of what that title held. Being a father meant I had to be a protector, priest, and provider for my family. And as a husband, you can add on the title of the “pursuer” of my wife. I guess the naivety was born out of how easy my dad made it seem to do all of those things for my brother and I. Never once did I worry about life while growing up. I didn’t have to worry about my next meal, clothes, or where we were going to sleep that night. I never worried about not getting birthday or Christmas presents. And don’t get me wrong! I’m not saying that if you did face these things, your dad wasn’t a great dad or that he didn’t try his best. I’m saying that based on my reality, fatherhood seemed effortless. I liken the feeling of being scared to the time when I turned 21. My parents sent me a card and the gist of it was “Welcome to adulthood, no turning back now!” I was terrified. It meant that I had to start being more responsible. I was about to graduate from college, head off to grad school, and I was officially about to live on my own for the first time. I had to get a real job and pay most of my bills now. All of that hit me at once and I was honestly scared. I was scared, but I didn’t run. Instead, I leaned into the challenge of adulthood and I’m still learning how to be a decent functioning adult. Now, I’m a husband and a father and again, I’m leaning into this new transition of life. There’s no turning back now. I read in a book somewhere that the difference between being scared and being excited is the way you think about the situation. The physiological response for both feelings is almost identical. So to be fair, I’m more excited than I am scared of being a father.

I’ve also learned that even with the work I’ve done on my ego, I still have quite a way to go (I sound pretty high and mighty there, I know). It’s funny because shortly after my son was born, my ego took a hit. All of a sudden I felt inadequate. I’m going to choose my next set of words wisely and I must admit this feeling was borne out of pride that got put in its place. Here goes. As a man, I have this inherent desire to want to feel needed. Naturally, when my son was born, I felt as if I would be the main one to give him the comfort that he needed. I was wrong. I’ll never forget the night when he was just crying and crying and nothing I did consoled him. However, his mother, in all her glory and love, was able to take him and soothe him to sleep. I was jealous, and in the immediate moment after that feeling, I asked myself, “Why do you feel this way? Why do you feel hurt? Bruised?” That taught me a lesson in humility. Sometimes (more often than not, to be honest), you can’t fix or solve all the problems. Know your limitations and let someone do the things you can’t. 

Lastly, I have had a mixture of feelings that can only be described as “pride and joy.” I’ve loved my son since before he was born, and to be able to hold him in my arms allowed a rush of pride and happiness to flow through me. I helped create this amazing human being. My son, my namesake, my seed. As I thought of all the things he’ll accomplish, lives he’ll impact, the company he’ll keep, pride was the only thing I felt. It was a deep sense of satisfaction and pleasure in believing wholeheartedly in the man I know my son will become. No matter how scared or how bruised my ego is, I will always love, protect, and provide for him. I vow to ensure that he can pursue his dreams and goals with my support. I vow to be the best dad I possibly can. 

So what’s it like being a father? This is my answer… for now. This journey has only just begun.

– James C  

James Campbell is a husband, father, and business owner with a background in Chemistry. His vision is to empower and mentor the next generation to their fullest potential, with the intention of creating a generation of leaders. 
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Who Do You Say God Is?

Last week, we discussed whether or not God exists. If you don’t believe that God exists, that discussion kind of just ends there lol But for those who do believe that God exists, the next logical question is, “Who do you say God is?”

Again, the answer may seem obvious, but is it? Because the importance of asking that question is less about trying to define who God is and more about setting a foundation for the rest of your ideological framework. Why? Because everything you believe rests on who you believe God to be.

Here’s what we know:
1. Every culture has had a unique experience with what they consider to be some version of a higher power, and that experience is reflected in their religious ideologies.
2. It’s impossible for any one person or group to have a monopoly on knowledge regarding a higher power because we are all limited.
3. Whatever you believe about a higher power should be worth believing in and it should make sense.

Knowing who you believe God to be is imperative for establishing a clear line of reasoning from “point A” (who you say God is) to “point B” (your beliefs regarding your responsibilities to God, yourself, and others) to “point C” (how you interact with the world around you). That might seem pretty straightforward, but it’s super easy for those points to disconnect. For example, it’s easy to say that you believe God is (insert characteristic here), but if your beliefs regarding your responsibilities to God, yourself, and others don’t reflect that… if you’re not representing a God who is (insert characteristic here) in your interactions with the people around you…do you really believe that God is (insert characteristic here)? Or are you saying it because it sounds good while your actions communicate something else?

It’s also important to remember that your mindset about who God is should make sense. Believing that God has qualities that create contradictions within God’s character could create inconsistencies in your belief system . . . which turns into inconsistencies in how you treat people and how you interact with the world around you. Our actions are what give insight into who we are and the beliefs that make us that way and people are going to be turned off from you and your beliefs if they can’t count on you (and whatever God you are representing) to be consistent.

Those are some points to consider as you take some time this week to think about who you believe God is. Who DO you say God is? And what makes you believe that about God? Share your thoughts below!