"I have a bigger view of God." This seems to be a very popular statement that some Christians are saying these days. I've heard it for more than a year stated by many believers. For some reason, it always bothered me. It wasn't until this morning that God revealed why. Understand, what I am about to say is meant to show how this idea can mislead believers.
"I have a bigger view of God." or "My view of God is bigger now." Some Believers say this in earnest, expressing how they have spiritually grown and matured in Christ. Others may say this with arrogance in their heart, comparing themselves to other believers. Whether stated in earnest or in arrogance, there are fundamental problems with this type of statement.
First, let us recognize that as believers spiritually mature, we understand more about the glorious Nature of God. God reveals more and more of His Righteousness to us - shaping us, growing us, changing us into the image of His Beloved Son. We all start as 'baby believers.' As we mature in Christ, our understanding of God increases as well. Believers who truly seek Him all mature at different rates and in different ways. We all have different life and spiritual experiences that affects this growth.
Here's the problem. When we state we have a bigger view of God, who or what are we comparing this 'bigger view' to? Are we comparing it to our own personal view of God in the past? If so, then the statement is innocent and factual. A more concerning question is, when we make a statement like this, are we comparing our spirituality to that of other believers? When we compare our spirituality, faith, or view of God to that of other believers, we are entering DANGEROUS territory! We have opened the door to pride, arrogance, ego, and conceit! God didn't want us comparing ourselves to each other in this way. Those who say they have a bigger view of God are either inadvertently or even purposefully elevating themselves above other believers. Whether intended or not, it is a statement of comparison. When we begin comparing our 'spirituality,' the focus is shifted off of God's glory and shifted back on us. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus said, "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?"
In addition, a statement like this can be misconstrued by others, even if stated with the purest of intentions. As believers, we need to carefully measure what we say, think, and do. Even when said with the purest intentions, statements such as these can alienate us from our Christian brothers and sisters. Perhaps a better wording would be to very humbly state how God has grown us as believers. Give the credit where the credit is due - to Him!
Another issue that bothers me about this statement is that it is an "I" statement. "I" statements always point back to one's self. We can't avoid "I" statements completely. We're human and these are perfectly acceptable when used in certain statements. However, in the statements we're examining today, statements that supposedly speak to God's glory - "I have a bigger view of God" or "My view of God is bigger now" - we threw in an "I". Again, the motivation behind the statement is at issue. The truth is, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US could handle the true greatness of our glorious LORD. Therefore, to state that we have a bigger view of God than another believer is like comparing one grain of sand to another. Our finite, human minds can't handle His Greatness! He is more magnificent and holy than we can ever think or imagine! Moses asked God to show His glorious presence. "The LORD replied, ' I will make all my goodness pass before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face for no one may see me and live.' " (Exodus 33:19-20) So God hid Moses in a crevice and covered Moses with His hand until He passed by. He allowed Moses to see Him from behind. Late, in Exodus 34:29-31 we learn, "When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn't aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the LORD. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses' face, they were afraid to come near him." In verses 33-35 we see that Moses covered his face with a veil whenever his spoke to the people but removed the veil when he spoke with God. Moses face was lit up with the glory of God, just from seeing God from behind! The people couldn't even handle seeing God's glory reflected on Moses' face. He's too glorious for us to see Him and live. So what makes any one of us think that we could even be good enough to compare our finite understanding of God to that of other believers? Who are we to think we have a bigger view than our fellow Christian brothers and sisters?
Here's an even scarier issue with this statement...idol worship. When we begin to worship "our bigger VIEW" of God instead of God Himself, we have just jumped into idol worship. You see, God cannot be defined nor confined by men. When we take our 'our view' of God and elevate it, make it our primary focus, and use it to set us apart from other believers, we are, in essence, worshipping ourselves. We have defined God on our terms, not His. This is true no matter how big or small our view of God is. Our view of God cannot replace God Himself. Focusing on anything above God Himself is idol worship. So if we are defining and worshipping God by our view, we need to pray for forgiveness and His help to get back on track.
Here's the better way. Instead of focusing on OUR VIEW of a bigger God, let us FOCUS on our BIGGER GOD! Human views mean NOTHING! Let us bring attention to THE ONE who is worthy of ALL honor, glory, praise, wisdom, wealth, adoration, and love! Let us FOCUS on HIS GREATNESS and NOT on our VIEW of His Greatness! HE is THE GREAT I AM! Let us not draw attention to ourselves as we are expounding HIS GLORY!
You may or may not agree with me. Whether you do or don't, please pray and ask God to examine your heart. Ask Him to show you His Truth and help you live for Him. I am praying for you! Please pray for me as well. We are all God's children, united in the Body of Christ. You are my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ!
In His Love, Cathy
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