Do you ever view God like Santa Claus? Have you ever acted as if God exists just to give you what you want as long as you're good enough to deserve it? And Santa grades on a pretty easy curve when it comes to naughty and nice, right? So as long as we're not awful compared to other people, we should get what we want.
This is how I used to view God at times. If I was at least as good as everyone else, I expected to have a pretty good life and to get into heaven when I died. Based on what I did, I expected to get what I wanted in return.
Basically, this is using God, not loving Him.
A better way to view God than Santa Claus is Father. This is a common description of God in the Bible and the term Jesus used often. Whether you have a positive, negative, or mixed reaction to the word Father, based on your personal experiences, you can be sure God is the perfect Father. He's what a father should be. Any positive experiences you have with earthly fathers point you toward an even greater Heavenly Father. Good fathers give us a small picture of what a relationship with God can be. But no earthly father is perfect.
Any negative experience you may have had with a father-even the absence of a father-is painful because you know what a father is supposed to be. You know that relationship is supposed to be safe, supportive, and characterized by unconditional love.
One part of our relationship with God that we distort and make unhealthy is a misplaced affection for the things He gives us. James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
It's human nature to become obsessed with the gifts God gives us. We turn good things into our gods and worship them, giving them our affection and allowing them to consume our lives.
Earlier James warned people that temptation and sin don't come from God but from within our own hearts when we desire things instead of God. It's true that gifts are from God (see James 1:13-16). But the Giver is much greater than the gifts He gives us.
You can identify what you idolize by recognizing what tempts you. If something is enticing, part of you believes it's more satisfying and pleasing than what God can give you. Whatever lures your heart away from loving your Heavenly Father is an idol. Anything that has your devotion and influences your life more than Jesus is an idol, a distortion of the good and perfect gifts the Father gives.
Paul wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in a city called Ephesus, a center of idolatry. Ephesus was the home of the temple of Artemis, one of the most popular Greek goddesses, the daughter of Zeus and the twin sister of Apollo. She was a seriously big deal in ancient religion. Her temple was not only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world but was also deemed as the most magnificent.
At one point the craftsmen and merchants who made a lot of money selling shrines of Artemis stirred up a riot after Paul preached the gospel of Jesus (see Acts 19:24-41). People in the city had been transformed by the love and grace of Jesus, and they were worshiping Jesus instead of Artemis and "the sacred stone that fell from the sky" (verse 35).
In contrast to idol worship, Paul said everything you need is found in your relationship with Jesus. He's infinitely greater than anything in this world. He wants to bless you. He wants you to experience life to its fullest. He's not a cosmic killjoy who wants to ruin all your fun. He has the very best intentions for you. And the things you think you want apart from Him aren't good. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).
No matter what your experiences are with fathers in this world, Jesus said you can trust your Heavenly Father. He's always good. He not only knows what you need but also wants to bless you with good gifts (see Matthew 7:7-11).
God's gifts are good. Enjoy them. But the Giver is even better. Enjoy Him more.
This article is excerpted from Jesus > Religion: The Bible Study.