Brimstone Vs Honey

Can we talk about God?

*long silence + you can literally hear a needle drop*

I have discovered that we are more comfortable talking about recent trends, politics and gossip than talking about God, you can automatically hear the bleep in your audience's minds as soon as the word God is mentioned, just like on TV. 

And when we do talk about God there seem to be that attachment of thunder and condemnation to the message; for example:

"God is a faithful being, He has been with us this year and He deserves all the glory. Now pass this message around to 200 people if you want to see 2017 and don't want to be woken up by that witch in your village at midnight (I must sha exaggerate...lol)" but you get my drift.

Such messages are rampant on social media tools and I usually just continue scrolling when I mistakenly read them because that is not the image I have of God in my head neither does it depict my experience with Him thus far.

You see, when I think of God I don't imagine fire, brimstone or thunder bolts, I don't imagine condemnation or a God who holds a gravel ready to send the next sinner straight to hell unjustly for falling short. 

When I do think of God, I think of the following:

• An anchor in uncertain waters (which is the crux of my next post).
• A giver of second chances because my relationship with God over the years was one of "fight and settle" but over and over again, He took me back despite of my filth. 
• A lover because I am yet to see any love so true as sending your most prized possession to die for a stiff and unrepentant generation.
• A God who disciplines His children not for the sheer thrill of it but because it is indeed the child a father loves that he corrects. 
• A kind and merciful being because He simply refused to let go of my hand until I finally yielded which in turn makes me love Him not because of what He does or should do but because He first loved me. 

Now please tell me where that image of a God spitting fire from His nostrils fits in?

I never want to be in a situation where I serve or worship God out of fear; doing it out of love so far has been far easier. 

Imagine living with someone and immediately you hear the sound of the person's car, you start panicking, wondering what the person would complain about, quickly run to the kitchen to make sure everything is tidy and just to be on the safe side, pick up a rag to clean the back of the mortar (talk about fear...lol) - just anything to avoid the person's wrath. 

Now imagine doing that over and over again? surely you will either eventually implode or explode.

Now picture living with someone who gives you the assurance that despite your flaws, you are the best thing that has happened since they started selling gala in traffic; you don't panic when you hear the sound of the person's car and you are not scared of being your imperfect self. Eventually you start to mirror the person's love and just want to be the best for that person simply because of how accepting the person has been of you (Now that is what it referred to as God's transforming love, never heard of God's transforming fear before). 

Which of the two scenarios above would you rather dwell in? One of fear (brimstone) or one of love (honey)?

Since there isn't much I can do about those god of thunder messages getting round, in my own little way I am going to start writing about who God is to me and hopefully, someone out there who is currently panicking, cleaning the mortar and pestle over and over again and pretty much just getting drained in religion would STOP, seek and enjoy the flow of love/intimate relationship with God instead. 

I will stop here for today and in my next post I will use Anchoring a Ship to further describe God + Jesus Christ + Holy Spirit through a lens of love not fear (sure do love using everyday regular activities to transmit my message).

Until then...

But before I go, we do love to learn, so please feel free to describe who God is to you?