Unloving God-Image: Out to Get You Police Detective God
Description: Outta Getcha Police Detective God is a perfectionist and very legalistic. He definitely sees me and watches me carefully but He’s doing it to look for mistakes. He never misses my smallest error or imperfection. He keeps a record of my sins. He looks to catch you slip up and holds your sins against you. He won’t forgive you. He exacts justice against me. Potential Reasons for this God-Image: You parents were very focused on upright and proper moral behavior. Your parents wanted you to be modeled after themselves. Perfectionist parents. They placed high value on your conduct. As you grew up, you might have imposed your own rigid moral code on yourself. Binging on food, alcohol, movies, video games, shopping, pornography – all rebellious acts against this God image (“If I’m going to be bad and displease God, I might as well go all out!). You are also highly demanding of others. Unlovable Self-Image: I Have to be Perfect (“Cautious Carla”). Description: Since Outta Getcha Police Detective God is You feel like you have to be perfect. You’re not worth being accepted as imperfect and you have to be careful or you’ll get caught making a mistake. You don’t feel like second chances or forgiveness is possible. You are nervous about making mistakes. Cautious. You don’t feel accepted unless perfect. Constantly monitoring yourself. Striving for moral perfection. Impossible standard. God seems legalistic. You get caught up in rules. God will yell out “Gotcha!” when you mess up. demanding, you have a strong sense of being inadequate and defective. This is a shame-based self image. You feel a desire to earn God’s love. And must always be at your best. But it’s never enough. You are a workaholic, overachiever, always striving for more. Say yes to every ministry (ministry-aholic – volunteer for everything). You feel like you can never do enough to get God’s approval. Slave mentality. God is impossible to please. He barks orders at you. Keep up the pace or get kicked out. You feel inadequate and guilty. If you mess up, God’s angry at you. You don’t pray much personally. Ministry takes priority. You must meet very high standards for God to accept you. Always win. Everything must be perfect. Scripture Passage: “Are your days like the days of a mortal, and are your years like a human lifetime, that you seek for guilt in me and search after my sins, Even though you know that I am not wicked, and that none can deliver me out of your hand?” (Job 10:5-7). Loving God-Image: Merciful God (“”) Description: God mercifully forgives me for my failures and doesn’t hold them against me. He doesn’t look to catch me doing wrong. He doesn’t want to punish me. He is perfect but NOT a perfectionist. God tears up my list of wrongs. Scripture Passage: Jesus calls Peter after his rejection (to heal wounds of shame & fear). Lovable Self-Image: I’m forgiven. Description: I’m worth being forgiven and trusted to do right by God; I’m worth a second chance; I’m helped by God to avoid sin; I’m accepted based on Christ’s perfection and not my own.
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