God’s Character

God’s Character

Bible Reading: Romans 1:21-23

We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Most of us who have lived with addictions struggle with inner guilt. We may conclude that God is against us, and/or that we are against him. Our fear of rejection, coupled with the fear of having to give up an addiction that helps us cope, can cause us to distance ourselves from God. When this happens, our minds become confused. We concoct a long list of all the things we need to do in order to come to God. This list usually describes our version of what it means to be “good enough.” And in our minds, it often disqualifies us from the hope of having a loving relationship with God.

The apostle Paul once wrote, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools” (Romans 1:21-22).

If we have negative feelings toward God, we need to look carefully at the reasoning behind our conclusions. We may have concluded that we don’t want, or can’t accept, God. If we examine these conclusions and compare them with what the Bible really says about God, we may be happy to find that God is far more loving and accepting than we might have believed possible.

Addictions begin when we reject what we know about God; recovery begins when we rediscover it.