Permission Slip
What Does God Really Want from Me? Understanding His Heart Beyond the Rules
Have you ever wondered if God is just a cosmic rule-maker waiting to catch you in a mistake? Many of us grew up with this image of God - the stern father figure with a long list of "thou shalt nots." But what if our view of God has been distorted? What if we've been missing something fundamental about His character?
How Our View of God Shapes Everything
The way we perceive God is perhaps the most important aspect of who we are. As A.W. Tozer wisely noted, what we think about God is the most important thing about us. Why? Because if God exists as an infinite being of power and majesty who created you, then what He thinks about you and how you should live matters tremendously. Your view of God determines: What you believe, how you think, how you live, and how you interact with others and the world.
Common Misconceptions About God
Many of us have developed distorted views of God based on our experiences:
The Controlling Parent
Some see God like a child harness - He gives you just enough freedom to walk around, but the moment you try to go somewhere, He disapproves, He yanks you back with a "No!"
The Punisher
Others view God like a magnifying glass focused on an ant, ready to burn you the moment you step out of line. If you do something wrong, God is just waiting to bring judgment.
The Opponent
Some see their relationship with God as a constant fight - they're trying to do things their way while God pushes back, creating tension and conflict.
The Contradiction in How We See God
Many people, both inside and outside Christianity, see a contradiction between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament. The Old Testament God seems vindictive and wrathful, while Jesus appears loving and gracious. But what if God hasn't changed? What if we've misunderstood His actions all along?
Understanding God's Heart in Genesis
Let's look at the story of Adam and Eve to understand God's true character. After they sinned by eating from the forbidden tree, God made them clothing and then removed them from the garden: "The Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them... Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the Tree of Life and eat and live forever...'" (Genesis 3:21-22)
God placed cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life. Many read this and think, "How mean! One mistake and God kicks them out of paradise?"
But here's what most miss: Before they sinned, Adam and Eve were in God's presence, under His protection. When they chose sin, they died spiritually. God didn't want them to eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in their broken, sinful state. His action wasn't punishment - it was protection. He loved them too much to let them remain eternally separated from Him.
Where Did Our Negative View of God Begin?
The serpent's first question in Genesis 3:1 reveals the origin of our distorted view: "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"
Notice how the enemy frames God's command, making it sound like God is primarily restrictive. But Eve corrects this: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden..." God said yes to everything except one tree!
God says yes to far more than He says no. We take for granted all His "yeses" - the breath in our lungs, the food we enjoy, the beauty around us - and focus only on His "nos."
God's "No" Comes from Love
As parents, we say "no" to our children not because we're mean, but because we love them and want to protect them. God's "no" comes from the same place - love and protection.
Unfortunately, many people, including prominent atheist writers, view God as "a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak" and "a vindictive, bloodthirsty" being. They see His commands as restrictive rather than protective.
How Religious Leaders Made It Worse
The religious leaders of Jesus' time took God's reasonable laws and added hundreds more, making faith a burden rather than a blessing:
God gave 613 laws (248 positive, 365 negative)
The rabbis added countless more restrictions
For example, God's simple Sabbath command (don't gather, don't carry, don't make fire) became burdened with ridiculous additions:
Tailors must put down needles 30 minutes before Sabbath
Women can wear hair clips, but not carry them
Don't drag chairs across the floor (it might stir up dust, which is "plowing")
Don't kill bugs (it's "hunting")
Jesus Reveals God's True Heart
Jesus came to correct our view of God. In John 10:10, He declares: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Jesus says, "I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7). This is a powerful image - in ancient shepherding, the shepherd would physically lie across the entrance to the sheep pen at night. He became the door, protecting the sheep with his own body.
This is who God really is - not the one standing at the gate with a sword keeping you out, but the gate itself, inviting you in and protecting you with His life.
Jesus further revealed God's heart when He read from Isaiah in the synagogue:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)
Life Application
God's Word isn't a list of restrictions - it's His permission slip for your best life. The "nos" are there to guard and protect you because He loves you. The "yeses" are there to give you the abundant life He designed for you.
Questions to Consider:
How do I currently view God? As a restrictive rule-maker or a loving Father?
What "nos" in Scripture have I resented without considering how they might be protecting me?
What "yeses" from God have I taken for granted?
How would my relationship with God change if I truly believed He wants what's best for me?
Remember: Look for God's "yeses" in your life. Each time you encounter a command in Scripture that feels restrictive, ask: "How might this be God's protection rather than His punishment?" Let this perspective transform not just how you see God, but how you live in response to His love.
