Many people who are suffering from unhealthy behaviors and emotions can see how they began to develop earlier in life, often during their childhoods. Perhaps they were raised without a strong parental background. Or perhaps they grew up in an abusive situation. Maybe they have a past, which continues to haunt them. Perhaps they succumb time and time again to bad and sinful habits.
Many people carry negative feelings about themselves and about life in general. They may even have negative concepts and thoughts about God.
Once a person can view God as God truly is—the kind, caring and loving Ruler of the universe, the healing process can begin. Anyone can benefit immensely when he or she begins to have a deep and abiding personal relationship with this One who rules this universe.
But what if you have many scars from the past? What if your relationship with your earthly father, mother, or stepfather or stepmother was cold, neglectful, harsh, abusive, frightening, absent, unaffectionate or unhealthy in some other way? There are indeed positive steps you can take that will help you overcome the chains of your past. And what if your problems are ongoing—not yet in the past? Is there real hope that you will see the light of day? My prayer is that a reading of certain key scriptures will help you begin the process of seeing what God’s attitude is toward you and all humanity..
Coming to see God as God really is!
To overcome negative feelings about ourselves, life in general, and even negative feelings about God, we must come to realize the depth of love God has for humanity. We can find out by reading the Bible, God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. In this article and a follow-up article, we will quote many scriptures to help us see the love that God has for each and every one of us. As we study the scriptures, we come to see that God is the most loving, patient, kind God that we could ever imagine.
God is the absolute opposite of the cruel, abusive, alcoholic, temperamental father or stepfather, mother or stepmother that many people have lived with.
Scripture tells us about the character of God—that He is kind, gentle, loving, and tenderhearted. He is all-powerful, which means none of our problems, even mental and emotional ones, are too great for Him. God is also patient and positive toward us. He is the exact opposite of the tyrant image that many have of Him!
The first concept to understand is that God is loving and kind. One definition of love is that it is an outgoing, unselfish concern for others. It is love toward a person with no strings attached; no concept of: “I’m doing you a favor in order to get a favor in return.” It is love that is totally based upon serving the other person for the best interests of that person.
God knows that our greatest need is salvation, and He earnestly wants to save us. God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). “The Lord is…longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).