A Wrong View of God

Many Christians are familiar with the Parable of the Talents that Jesus told. In the parable a land owner gave money, called talents, to three servants and instructed them to do something with them while he was gone and he'd check on them when he got back from his trip.

Two of the servants did well with what they were given and were praised by the master when he came back. But the third did poorly and was condemned. And most sermons that I've heard about it state that the reason the servant did poorly was because he did nothing with what he had, but rather buried it. And I'm sure that was one reason he was condemned.

But one woman was convicted by this parable, and not for the reason stated above.

The servant who did poorly didn't just not do anything. That servant had a bad attitude about the master. The servant accused the master of being a hard man and harvesting what others had planted.

The convicted woman who read the parable realized that she was like the servant with a bad attitude. Since she was in a relationship with a difficult and unreasonable man who was hard on her and even verbally abusive at times, she took on the attitude that God was that way. God is referred to as a "He" and this woman began believing the way her husband acted was the way all men acted to some degree, including God. It was easier for this woman to bury her talents and hide herself rather than use her talents for an unreasonable God. She felt God convict her for having this wrong view of Him, stemming from her dysfunctional relationship with her husband.

So what did this woman do?

First she asked for forgiveness from God. Then she asked Him to lead and guide her into a right understanding of Him. And she believes that she is on her way to a life where she no longer feels the need to bury her talents, but rather joyfully use them for God's glory and to find fulfillment in her life.

My wish for all reading this is that each one will discover who God really is rather than the way He has been presented through dysfunctional churches and homes. My hope for you is that whatever bitter waters you have been given concerning God and His design for your life, those waters will be swept away and that you will find the true sweet waters that Jesus offers.