God’s nature and our nature are quite different.
God is holy, but we can’t go without thinking an unholy thought for very long.
God is love, but we rather spend our day doing the things that please us rather than giving of ourselves to help others.
God is patient, but we get frustrated if we can’t get around the car in front of us who (in our opinion) is going too slow!
God is forgiving, but we hold resentment in our hearts towards those who didn’t keep their word one too many times.
These are just a few examples of how vastly different we are from our God. Does it convict you? Well, God understands. No I mean, he really understands.
“Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew what people were really like. No one needed to tell him about human nature.” John 2:23-25
“…it won’t take long for us to revert to our ways of pettiness and faithlessness…”
Isn’t it sad to think that Jesus had people proclaiming belief in him all the time, but he couldn’t trust in their word because he knew that they were going to turn their backs on him soon after? He understood this then and he understands it now. He knows that we get so pumped about God after church or after an event, but that it won’t take long for us to revert to our ways of pettiness and faithlessness. He understands. Unlike Jesus, if you lacked a certain characteristic, you would need someone to explain to you, why someone with that characteristic behaved the way they did. Jesus is different. Without possessing the negative qualities that we do, he understands our nature without it being explained to him.
“I can feel that much closer to my God realizing that he fully understands me.”
Knowing this, I can feel that much closer to my God realizing that he fully understands me. He doesn’t look down on me and think “What is wrong with you? Why do you act like that?” Instead, he lovingly reminds me of the big picture and gently encourages me to behave in a way that pleases him.
When you feel down for no particular reason at all, he understands. When you are jealous over a friend’s triumph and it really bothers you because you want to be happy for them, he understands. When you hurt the people you love the most, but are nice to complete strangers, he understands.
Remember this, the next time you behave in a way that is ungodly, and you imagine a bearded man in a white robe looking down from heaven thinking, “I don’t understand kids these days. Why does he think that?” or “Why does she act like that?” Your parents may have a hard time understanding “kids these days”, but God doesn’t. He understands perfectly. He loves perfectly. He forgives perfectly. Let the knowledge of this fuel your desire to know God better, trusting that he knows your nature and never holds it against you.
Originally Published: September, 2003
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Carolina. So often, Satan temps us to behave in ungodly ways and then guilts us into feeling like God will never forgive us or understand us. Thank you for the reminder that God loves us above our short-comings and forgives in a way so deep we cannot comprehend it. Good thought for the week!