Who Is God Really? Because Your Answer Changes Everything
Here is a question I ask every new client I work with, and I want to ask you the same thing right now.
When you picture God, what do you actually see?
Not the Sunday school answer. Not what you think you are supposed to say. What does He actually look like in your mind when life falls apart, and you need Him to show up?
I have been asking that question for nearly 30 years, and what people describe tells me almost everything about why they are struggling. Because how we see God shapes how we relate to Him, how we pray, whether we trust Him, and whether we believe healing is even possible for someone like us.
The good news is that God did not leave us to guess about who He is. Scripture introduces us to a living God with a real character, and knowing that character changes absolutely everything.
God Created You on Purpose
Genesis 1:1 opens with eight words that set the foundation for everything. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He formed you. He knows you. He holds all things together. When life feels like chaos, returning to the truth that God created it all gives us something to stand on that does not shift with our circumstances.
You did not arrive here by accident. That matters more than most people let themselves believe.
God Is Holy, and That Is Good News
Isaiah described a heavenly vision where angels cried out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3). Holiness means God is pure, perfect, and completely set apart from sin. And here is where people sometimes get tripped up. They hear holy, and they think distant or unapproachable.
But God’s holiness is actually what makes His grace so stunning. A holy God who looks at our mess and still chooses us through Jesus Christ is not a God to run from. That is a God to run toward.
God Is Love and Not the Hallmark Card Version
First John 4:8 says plainly that God is love. Not sentimental love. Not conditional love that disappears when you stop performing. Romans 5:8 tells us He sent His Son to die for us while we were still a mess, not after we cleaned ourselves up.
When shame sits heavy on your chest, when guilt follows you into every room, when trauma has made it hard to believe anyone could truly want you, God’s love does not flinch. It meets you right there and stays.
God Is Both Just and Merciful at the Same Time
Psalm 89:14 declares, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” God does not look away from suffering, evil, or pain. His justice means sin carries weight and consequence. And His mercy means forgiveness stays available.
At the cross, both of those things collide in the most powerful moment in history. Perfect justice and unending mercy met in one place, giving us both accountability and hope at the same time.
God Reigns Over Everything and Still Knows Your Name
Psalm 115:3 tells us God reigns over nations, galaxies, and every detail of history. That same God told us to pray, “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). The sovereign King of the universe invites you into a relationship as His child.
You are not a number. You are not forgotten. A personal God sees you, loves you, and pursues you even in the seasons when you feel most invisible.
Where Our View of God Gets Distorted
Here is where I want to slow down, because this is the part that matters most for the women I work with.
Most people do not consciously decide to believe wrong things about God. The distortion crept in through experience, and nobody warned them it was happening.
Early experiences shape our picture of God. Growing up with a parent who was absent, harsh, or inconsistent trains the brain to expect the same from any authority figure, including God. We project what we lived onto who He is, and we do it without realizing it.
Trauma and pain plant lies that feel like the truth. When life hurts deeply enough, thoughts like “God does not care” or “God is punishing me” start to feel reasonable. They are not. But pain is a convincing narrator.
Culture works against a biblical view of God constantly. Society paints God as irrelevant, judgmental, or out of touch. Spend enough time in that environment, and those messages seep in quietly.
Personal shame distorts the lens. Our own guilt and failures can make God feel disappointed or distant, even when His Word says He draws near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
Psychologically, these distorted pictures of God become mental filters. The brain forms pathways that repeat false narratives until they feel like absolute truth. Those patterns then shape every aspect of how we relate to God, whether we feel safe with Him, whether we pray honestly, and whether we believe He actually listens.
Romans 12:2 calls us to renew our minds. That is not just spiritual language. That is a description of rewiring those pathways with truth. In counseling, we do that work together. We uncover the lie, name where it came from, and replace it with what God’s Word actually says.
Instead of “God is disappointed in me,” we anchor to Psalm 103:8. “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
That is not a nice sentiment. That is God describing Himself. And healing begins the moment we start letting His self-description replace the one our wounds handed us.
Why This Is the Foundation of Everything I Do
Understanding who God truly is changes how we see ourselves, our struggles, and our capacity for healing. A God who is Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer is not an abstract concept sitting in the sky. He walks with us in grief, strengthens us in weakness, and calls us into a hope that does not disappoint.
Christian counseling works because transformation happens when our hearts align with the God who made us and knows us completely. That is not a theory. After nearly 30 years of sitting with people in their most painful moments, I have watched it happen over and over again.
Let This Land Before You Walk Away
Jeremiah 9:24 says, “Let the one who boasts boast in this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”
God not only allows Himself to be known. He delights in it. As you grow in knowing who He truly is, you will find a hope that anchors your soul and a love that no circumstance can touch.
If you wrestle with questions about God, about faith, or about whether healing is possible for your particular story, Christian counseling gives you a safe place to bring all of it. We open the Word together and let it speak into your real life, not a polished version of it.
Ready to Take the First Step?
My name is Jane Perkins. I own Are You Ready Counseling, and I offer online Christ-centered biblical counsel to people who carry emotional pain, mental health challenges, spiritual confusion, or loneliness.
You are not alone. And you do not have to stay stuck.
A free 20-minute consultation awaits you with no obligation attached. Bring your questions. Bring your doubts about who God really is. Come exactly as you are.
Visit: www.AreYouReadyCounseling.com
Email: jane@areyoureadycounseling.com
Book your free consultation: calendly.com/areyoureadycounseling
Open the Word. Trust His promises. And walk forward in His truth. I invite you to explore the possibility of faith-based healing through online Christian counseling services – Be Counseled Biblically.
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