The most important decision we can make in this moment is whether God is goon or good. Yes, really! As we consider our heart today, is God a bully trying to terrorize us? Or is He working on behalf of the right things in our lives?

Is God goon or good? Its amazing how one letter can completely change the context of a motive! I’m also struck by how quickly and intensely I can move between God being one or the other.

When God is the goon in our lives, all our hope is lost (Mark 10:27). He is set on disturbing us and making life miserable. He offers us exactly what we don’t want. He is out to punish us rather than meet our needs. He has no good in mind. He is taking away what we really want. He has no clue how he is impacting us.

My heart is then set on questioning him. I don’t believe or trust him. I don’t feel he has good intentions. He is dead set against me and what I need to make life work. He doesn’t know what my best interests are or my deepest longings. He is just out there acting on behalf of everyone else and his own interests. I doubt he even notices me or my plight, let alone cares. I feel completely lost, abandoned, rejected, and alone. I have no one and no hope.

My interactions with others are draining. I don’t feel like anyone really cares. My pain is so great that I am absorbed in it and by it. I am focused on my own hurt as I interact with others. I have needs but no one seems to notice. My desires go unmet. No one understands. No one is interested. No one is really present to my pain and hurt.

This is a downward spiral. In this state, we are depressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, and lonely. It is a hopeless state. It feels like a bottomless pit with no way out. There is no comfort here. We need a good God to rescue us from the goon we have made Him (Psalm 107:28, Isaiah 12:22)!

A simple prayer like “God help me” can begin to crack open the window of our heart and let God’s light in (Psalm 30:10, 109:26). Asking God for mercy can continue the process (Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 1:3). Begging God to come and be present can begin to show that we do think He is more than a goon (2 Timothy 4:18).

Stay tuned for Part II in two weeks.

Question for discussion: Can you relate to this tension with God? If so, how?

Contact information for speaking, training, consulting, coaching and writing:

Dr. Jeanine Parolini, PhD, MBA, MA

Phone: 651-295-6044
Email: jparolini@gmail.com
Website: www.JeanineParolini.com
Social Media: linkedin.com/in/jeanineparolini or facebook.com/jeanine.parolini