Your God Is Too Small

After many conversations with atheists and skeptics, I’ve noticed a general pattern: the god they claim disbelief in is way, way too small.

Almost every time I hear criticism of the biblical concept of God, it is based on the unbiblical idea that God is more like a man than the omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), omnipresent and infinite Trinitarian (three in one) deity that the Bible reveals.

Even when God did take the form of a man in Christ, we still see these attributes of God, though self-limited. Col. 1 tells us “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

But as skeptics try to limit their ideas about God to a human-like personality, then, this “god” becomes easy to criticize, because it is an ugly and pathetic thing when a human tries to pretend they have the powers of God listed above when they actually have the weaknesses and limitations of mortal man.

For example, jealousy is often a pathetic thing in a man, who wants the attention and authority he often doesn’t deserve. We might ask – “Who does he think he is, God?” But for God, jealousy is an entirely expected and appropriate emotion when people choose cheap substitutes, precisely because He IS God, and rightly deserves our attention and authority and glory and honor and praise. He made us to be in a right relationship to Himself, and we don’t function correctly when He isn’t given the honor He rightly deserves.

I was reminded of this in a conversation with Colin, an adamant atheist, when he asked an interesting question. He was asking about my beliefs in the biblical account of the origins of man and the earth, with God as Creator of it all, and seemed surprised that I would think that not only did God create the earth and all that it contains, but the countless stars and galaxies of the universe as well.

For me it seems like second nature: if the Creator made the mountains and oceans, as massive as they are, doesn’t it go without saying that He would also be able to create the rest of the universe as well? Put another way, doesn’t the idea that God formed the heavens and the earth in six days beg the question “Why did He take so long?”?

Atheist, skeptic – I believe you are the victim of your own shallow thinking about God. Or maybe “victim” isn’t appropriate here, as it could be more of an intentional mischaracterization. Colin mentioned that he much prefers the idea that humans make gods in their own image, and that maybe we are the true gods of the universe. The idea that God made man in His own image may give us and our fellow human beings incredible value and dignity, but it is still far less than the God whose image we bear, since an “image” is always somewhat less than the real thing.

Fellow believers, don’t be discouraged by the next criticism of the biblical God you hear out of the mouths of skeptics. It will almost always be the result of closed or narrow minds and a god that is far too small.