Episode 183 - Do You Believe The God You Believe In?

2/19/25

When I was in seminary over a decade ago, one of the first classes I took was called Systematic Theology. Systematic Theology means to take Christian doctrine or beliefs – your theology - and put them in a structured framework so you can understand the concepts in a logical and orderly manner. It helps anyone who is looking to understand the essential tenants of our faith because it requires us to think theologically. To think rightly. And when we think theologically, we’re able to apply God’s truth to our everyday lives – all the things we deal with here on earth as humans with human experiences. Having right theology when your husband dies, or your child gets cancer, or you get fired right before Christmas, or your wife leaves you unexpectedly gives you a frame of reference with which to walk things out in peace and have hope for your future.  To live another beautiful life. And ultimately, the goal of right theology is the worship of God with your life.

In my book, Another Beautiful Life: A Christian’s Journey to Finding Peace and Hope in Brokenness, I shared with you what made me realize my theology – parts of it anyway – was not right theology. After Brian died, I found myself questioning God. Even after years of enjoying an intimate relationship with the Lord, I found myself asking, “Were the promises for me, God? For Brian?” I knew something had shifted in me when what was running through my head was, “But I’ve been serving you for so long, God. I’ve been leading worship, serving in Women’s Ministry, leading bible studies, and mentoring women for more than 25 years. Why has this happened to me? Why didn’t you do what I asked you to do?”

My theology was exposed. Tragedy has a way of exposing what the true heart believes. I was living in fear. Fear of the present; fear of the future. And I was believing lies. Because of past, negative messaging that I was conditioned with since childhood, I began to believe that God was not going to provide the things I needed. I reasoned that He did not find me worthy of His time or attention. Out of that thought I felt worthless and unlovable. I felt like I was alone. I was scared and fearful of everything. I began to act in a way towards God that I had never acted before. I was incredulous of His promises and of His desire to love me like a Father. I held Him at arm’s length. I was now afraid of Him because now I wasn’t sure how He acted or if I could trust Him; afraid that now He was capricious. It was here that I understood that every thought that we have is formed by our belief system. Whatever is at the very core of us, what we truly believe, is what is going to direct our thoughts – positively and negatively. And here I was, not even knowing if what I believed about God was what I really believed about God.

In my spirit I heard these questions: “Do you believe the God you believe in? Do you believe He will do what He says He will and can do? Or do you believe He’s a capricious God, inconsistent, variable, fickle? Do you believe He is Omniscient, knowing all that you’re going through and need?  Do you believe He’s Omnipotent, able to change, orchestrate, and create things to happen? Or is there some doubt in your mind? Do you or do you not believe He is God?”

Challenging my mind with this line of questioning and having to give an answer allowed me to recognize the lies of the enemy that I was believing, take them captive as 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5 tells us to do, and apply what I truly believe deep down in the core of my being. That “right theology” that I studied and embraced oh-so-many years ago. It’s vitally important to have a right understanding of the full character of God – knowing who He is and how He acts - so we can fully lean into our faith. A. W. Tozer said, “Faith is confidence in the character of God, and if we don’t know what kind of God God is, we can’t have faith.”

And maybe the first questions is not, “Do you believe the God you believe in?” But, “What do you believe about God?” When we have a belief that God is compassionate, gracious, merciful, kind, and faithful, it fuels us with thoughts about a great and powerful God that is also very near, alive, and active in our life. A trust-worthy God. Worthy of our trust! These thoughts reflect the truth of God’s character. Fear cannot consume us with these kinds of thoughts! We are able to put our concerns in God’s hands with full expectation and anticipation of Him showing up powerfully in our situation. In simpler words, to walk in faith. Walk in what you say you believe.

So, what do you believe? This question is one I ask my coaching clients frequently. “What do you believe about God in relation to this situation/this tragedy/this hard place you’re in? Then the next question is, as Tozer says, do you have confidence in the character of God? You certainly can’t have confidence in something that you don’t know. So, do you know “what kind of God God is?”

And maybe you’re not aware that you can actually know God. And I mean “know” Him in the most intimate of ways. Not just know the names He’s called in the Bible – like God of Peace, Provider, A very present God, the God who sees me. And not just know His character – like He’s merciful, abounding in never-ending love, forgiving, faithful, patient, kind and gentle. Not just to know these things about Him intellectually, but to know them personally by a personal encounter with the One who gave you peace in the middle of chaos, the One who faithfully pursued you when you wandered away, the One who loves you like no one else can…or ever could. When you have this kind of encounter with His name and His character, then you KNOW what kind of God God is.

One thing I learned in my Systematic Theology class that changed the way I “believed the God I believe in” was that He must act according to the law of His inner being. That is, He must act according to WHO He is. He must act according to His nature, His characteristics, and His Name. He must. So, when He says He is my Father, then I take Him at His word that He wants to “father” me as much as I want to be “fathered.” And He would “father” me perfectly, just as the perfect Father that He is would, as Matthew 5, verse 48 tells us. When He says He that He is with me, beside me, strengthening me and helping me then when I feel confused, or afraid of something, or feel too small or weak for a task, I can take Him at His word that He will do this; that He is my God that upholds me. (Isaiah 41:10) I believe Him. I believe the God I believe in.

This is a great place to tell you about something I’ve created just for you – just for this week. I’ve created 6 days of concentrated focus on God’s nature and characteristics for you to dig a little deeper in your faith. Each day will give you a quote from a well-known author, then and idea to reflect on, and finally a prompt for you to journal or to apply to your life. That’s 6 days of getting to know God better and to bolster and increase what you believe about the God you believe in. To get those sent to your email, all you have to do is comment on this episode’s podcast transcript that’s on my website. The link will be in the show notes. Or you can go to triciazody.com/podcasttranscripts.

Oswald Chambers said in his devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, "Once you are rooted in the reality of God nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God. Base your faith on that. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you will never be moved again."

Once you have this personal relationship with personal encounters with the nature of God, then this is where you’re able to apply God’s truth to all the things you’re dealing with. When the money runs out and you’re not sure how you’re going to feed your family, when you’ve lost everything in a fire and you’re left homeless, when your child suddenly dies in a senseless accident, or simply when you’re just not sure how you’re going to get yourself out of bed for another day, when you believe the God you believe in, you can trust that somehow, some way, you’re going to be able to move forward because your God is a God who sees you and provides for your every need. This is the reality of God we’re rooted in and where peace and hope begin again.

Friend, I hope you will take this opportunity to discover just exactly what it is you believe about the God you believe in. I pray that if you find yourself lacking, you will seek the God that says He will be found – Jeremiah 29, verse 13 – so that He might show you the fullness of His character and perfect nature. I pray you have an intimate encounter with the One who loves you like none other. Then confess truth of who He is in relation to your pain, fears, and concerns. And watch Him show up and transform your life. He can and He certainly longs to. This is the God we believe in.

Be sure to grab the Listener’s Guide that will help you work through this topic. I’ve got something extra for you, too, this week beside the 6 days of “About God” Reflection Series – a whole list of God’s names that we find in the Bible, plus His nature and character with their associated scriptures. This ought to help you increase your belief in the God you believe in. So, grab that Listener’s Guide. The link is in the show notes.

Lastly, don’t forget to register for the free Emotions Workshop – February 24th at 2pm Central. You can do that at triciazody.com/emotionsworkshop, or just click the link in the show notes.

Have a wonderful week, friends. See you next Wednesday for the next episode of Another Beautiful Life.

SHOW NOTES:

Do you believe the God you say you believe in? Do you believe He will do for you what scripture says He will? Do you know who He is?

Today we explore what might keep you from being able to stay firmly rooted in faith when the floor is falling out from beneath you. And sometimes we have to go back to fundamentals to figure out exactly what it is we believe about God.

Resources Mentioned:

·       Another Beautiful Life: A Christian’s Journey to Finding Peace and Healing in Brokenness by Tricia Zody https://a.co/d/hoPKsBO

·       A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God: Deeper into the Father's Heart

·       Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

·       Get the 6 Days of “About God” Reflection Series: https://www.triciazody.com/podcasttranscripts (You must comment on this episode’s transcript to active the emails to your inbox.)

·       For more tools, questions for reflection, and resources to help you on your journey, download the Listener's Guide for this episode: https://www.triciazody.com/guide

Scriptures Mentioned:

·       2 Corinthians 10:5; Matthew 5:48; Isaiah 41:10; Jeremiah 29:13

Are you wondering how Life Coaching works? Would you like a free, 30-minute session? Click this link to set up a Consult Call: https://calendly.com/triciazodylifecoach/30min

Connect:Website: www.triciazody.comFollow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tricia.zody/  and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triciazody/

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