6. Pushy Salesman God

Unloving God-Image: Pushy Salesman God.

Description: Pushy Salesman God is demanding, rude, ill-mannered. He forces you to do things his way. He doesn’t respect your freedom/boundaries/limits violating you and using you; forcing himself on you, smothering you. He tricks you with his glittering, dazzling smile and a veneer of friendliness. If that doesn’t work, He is willing to force me to get what He wants from me. No collaboration. No cooperation. It’s his way or the highway. Demands conformity.

Potential Reasons for this God-Image: You were taken advantage of growing up, either by your parents or others who were more powerful. You deeply desire relationships with others but lost trust in key relationships growing up. You were used and discarded. Maybe sexually abused. As you grew up, you might have rejected Pushy Salesman God because the relationship seemed to not work at all for your favor.

Unlovable Self-Image: I get pushed around (“Pushed-Around Paula”).

Description: Since Pushy Salesman God takes advantage of you and forces you to do what he wants, you feel used by God to follow His will and rejected if you don’t. Afraid to be close to him. You are distrustful of God. Suspicious of what he might want you to do. He’s sneaky. You think you’re worthless and deserve to be abused.
You consider yourself worthless and cheap in God’s eyes. You think that you deserve to be taken advantage of. Ashamed to be yourself. You can’t say “no” to God.
Trouble relating to God as a Father and to Jesus as a man. Feels forced to behaving a certain way as a Christian. Feel like a doormat. God wipes the dirt off his feet on you. God is trying to sell you something you don’t like.

Scripture Passage: “God, you destroy the hope of man. You forever overpower him, and he departs. You change his appearance and send him away” (Job 14:19-20).

Loving God-Image: Gentle God.

Description: God gently seeks to be intimate with me without pushing Himself on me. God respects me as an individual. He isn’t rude or shameful.

Lovable Self-Image: I’m valued.

Description: I’m priceless and valuable in God’s eyes. I deserve to be treated with gentleness and respect. God gives me the right to say “no”; I’ll protect the value of my identity as God’s child.