What Comes To Mind When You Think About God?

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. - Psalm 23:1-4

There’s a quote by A.W. Tozer that I really love, where he says, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

It’s a simple quote, but one that will really get you thinking…because maybe, you’ve never taken the time to really dive into what you think about God.

Maybe you’ve grown up in church, so you’ve heard a lot about what your pastor thinks about God, what your parents think about God, or what your small group leader thinks about God. But you’ve never figured out exactly what you think about God.

Maybe you have some friends who seem to have their minds made up about what they believe about God, but you’re still trying to make up your own mind.

Or maybe you’re brand new to following Jesus and thinking about God is something you’re still getting used to.

Regardless of where you find yourself in your walk with Jesus today, I want to ask you a question based on that quote from A.W. Tozer.

What comes to your mind when you think about God?

Do you think God is like an overbearing parent, expecting nothing short of perfection from you?

Do you think God is like a genie, waiting to grant your every wish?

Do you think God is like a mighty soldier, determined to protect you at all costs?

Do you think God is like a ruthless leader, always looking to pass judgment and dish out consequences for your mistakes?

Do you think God is like a loving friend, ready and willing to listen to you and comfort you when you’re struggling?

Do you think God is like a tough teacher, grading and critiquing your every move?

Do you think God is like a cat owner, dangling what you want most just out of your reach as a way of entertaining Himself?

I could keep going, but I think you get the idea. There are a lot of different things we might think about God, most of which I’m sure I didn’t even touch on. And I’m convinced that we don’t give enough thought to what we think and what we believe about God.

What we think about God will influence every aspect of our lives. The way we talk, the way we treat people, the way we react to adversity, the way we navigate relationships, the way we cope with disappointment, the way we make decisions - all of those things pass through the filter of our beliefs about God.

Therefore, we must not skip over the important step of figuring out what it is we truly think about God.

So today, I want to encourage you to take some time to answer my question from before: What comes to your mind when you think about God?

I want you to write down your answers (there will probably be quite a few thoughts and beliefs that rise to the surface.) And I want you to write down what you actually think and believe…not what you think you’re supposed to think and believe.

Once you have your answers written down, I want you to bring your list before the Lord. Ask Him to validate any thoughts and beliefs you have that are true of Him. And then ask Him to reveal to you any thoughts or beliefs that aren’t true. You can even go a step further if you identify an untrue thought about God by Googling Bible verses that tell you what is true about Him.

While this might seem like a simple exercise, I can promise you it is also a powerful one. Because remember, every aspect of our lives is affected by our beliefs about God.

So carve out a few minutes. Pull out a notepad or your journal. Sit in the stillness with Jesus, and be honest about what comes to mind when you think about Him.

You have no idea the amazing work God can do in your heart and in your life when you take this simple and powerful step in your walk with the Lord.