Not a taker. More generous than exacting. More keen on blessing than extracting. More into surprising than expecting. More interested in what he can contribute than what he demand.
It can be easy to unwittingly accept an image of God as the Great Demander. The Domineering Father. The Exacting Boss The By-the-Book Judge. Always with a keen eye to whether or not we’re paying our dues or living up to his standards.
And, to be honest, depending on whatever random place in the Bible you begin reading, it’s not hard to see where one might get such an impression. It’s not all easy to swallow. It’s not always a pretty picture. It’s not always clear. The Bible, despite popular opinion, and despite all our wishes to the contrary, is anything but clear, even in its depictions of God. Anyone who says differently is selling something.
Nevertheless, the more I read, and the more I live, and the more I pray to and seek this God, the more I am convinced of this: Any image of God that is not characterized by generosity is a false god. It is a god made in the image of selfish and greedy humans, rather than the Benevolent and Selfless Image that all humans reflect, especially when at their best.
What, then, is an appropriate human response? Come to him with open hands and an open heart. Receive his revelation. Follow his desires. Accept his words. Believe his Son.
And be unceasingly grateful.
