They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or thank him. Their thinking became useless. Their foolish minds were filled with darkness.
Romans 1:21 (NCV)
We are all created in the image of God. So when we look around at some of the ugliness of humanity—at the hate, the crime, the anger, the injustice, it can make us question who God is. Because If we look around at people and measure God by the same standards, our image of God will be seriously skewed. And why would we want to spend time with Him, let alone spend eternity with Him, if His characteristics are the same ugly ones we see in everyday people? Our mental image of God matters. Our image of people is based on our own biases, our experiences, and our perspective. But that should never be our standard for how we see God, because thinking too little of God will absolutely derail our faith, limit our growth, and impair our lives.
The truth of who God is should take your breath away. He should be so big that you run to Him for comfort, you invite Him into your celebrations, and you honor Him with every part of your life. How you see God changes everything! How small is your God? Is He diminished in your heart because you have limited His greatness and His glory in your eyes? If the God of your mind is small and insignificant, He certainly wouldn’t seem worthy of your worship, your money, or your time. And if your God is that small, how can He be your hope, your joy, and your peace?
When you hear the name “God”, if you feel fearful, bored, or apathetic, He is obviously WAY too small in your mind. And when He feels small, the last thing your heart would want to do is seek Him, worship Him, or share Him with others. But if, when you think of Him, you can’t contain your smile, you do a little happy dance in your head, and your face brightens with joy that He has chosen you, you have an accurate view of Who He is. What would it take for you to have that view of God? Before you can ever really know God, you need to find out more about Him. Not from other people who all have their own opinions or from the worldly perspective that loves to diminish Him, but from the source—God Himself. Open your Bible and read all about Him. Team up with others and study His Word. Soon your negative ideas will shift to a mind-blowing, life-altering, heart-growing view of your gracious and magnificent God! When you have an accurate view of God, you won’t be able to contain your enthusiasm, and you will seek Him in every area of your life. When you see God correctly, it changes everything! You are loved!