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God Distorted



Father's Day is almost here. It's a day I love, quite frankly, because my kids are forced to honor me. It's also a great opportunity for my wife to make a cheesecake. Why a cheesecake? Because I most likely just had ice cream cake for my birthday, which was last week. (In case you missed it and still want to get me something, I'm a size mini, as in iPad mini.)

But back to Dad's Day. I just finished reading God Distorted by John Bishop. The subtitle for this one is what grabbed me; How Your Earthly Father Affects Your Perception of God and Why It Matters.

I should probably begin where John begins. He began by sharing his story, which includes 4 different father figures, only one of which ever modeled anything worthwhile. My story is quite different. My dad, while not perfect (who is?), was always there, committed to providing for our family. He was a good example of many things a dad should be. And, like many others, I find myself wishing I had had more time him now that I am a dad myself.

What John does is shoot straight for the heart of the matter, quoting A.W. Tozer who said, 'What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.' I couldn't agree more. After all, the myriad of issues that people have with religion often come down to an image problem. And it's not always about us as Christians.

How many times have you heard people asking how God could do this or allow that? That's an image problem. I don't believe we need to defend God. That's kind of like defending a lion. He doesn't need our help. But if I could show someone how their perspective of God impacts every area of their life, then I want to be able to do that.

John Bishop takes the time to reference the many poor examples of fathers we have. He even takes time to point out that good dads still do not equal a good God. He then shows us how God is a perfect Heavenly Father and concludes by showing the reader how to experience healing. The study guide is especially helpful, as it is catered to the many types of hurts people have experienced.

I received this book for free from my good friends at Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing. They give me books and ask me to share my opinion. Quite frankly, this book should be included in every church library and most people's personal libraries as well.

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