Susan Beckett | Dwelling Place City Church
News flash! Camels don’t store water in their humps! (The humps are actually full of fat.) It’s a myth that wolves howl at the moon! (They howl because it’s night and that’s when they’re active). Eating food within 5 seconds of dropping it on the floor is not safe after all. (Bacteria can contaminate food within milliseconds.) It’s a myth that bulls get mad when they see red. (Bulls are color-blind to red – the cape itself is an agitation to the bull and is perceived as a threat). And – sugar doesn’t cause hyperactivity in children. (Turns out there is zero evidence of this.) Just sayin’…
Lists of misconceptions go on and on. Most are trivial and lives won’t be affected by the falsehoods. I doubt a person is ruined because they thought touching a toad caused their wart! But, if we have so easily bought into these common misconceptions that are of little import, is it possible we’ve bought into some misconceptions concerning more pressing issues?! What if we’ve believed untruths that could adversely affect our lives?
A misconception is defined as a view or opinion that is incorrect because it’s based on faulty thinking or understanding. Trouble is, misconceptions can spread easily and people often accept them without ever investigating the facts! Mark Twain stated that, “The trouble with the world is not that people know too little; it’s that they know so many things that just aren’t so!”
Satan is the primary source of misconceptions about God and his aim is to distort God’s character. The best place to learn about God is not the History Channel or the most recent best-seller by some woke theologist; truth about God comes from reading His best-seller – the Bible. For starters…
God’s Not a Schizophrenic. There are many who would make God out to be schizophrenic – sometimes called “multiple personality disorder.” They attempt to say that the God of the Bible is the same God as other religions – just called by different names. They would have us believe that Allah, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, etc. are all one in the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is only one God – not a false god made up in the minds of man. John 17:3 tells us, “And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
God’s Not a Party-Pooper. How many people think that God is some old guy sitting up in heaven just thinking up ways to make our lives miserable?! Many actually! Being a Christ-follower doesn’t mean you can no longer enjoy life or have fun. Quite the opposite. John 10:10 reminds us that “The thief (satan) approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; (Jesus) came to give life with joy and abundance.” Our society has a misconception of what fun and good times consist of. We don’t have to engage in sin or immorality to have fun!
God’s Not a Slot Machine. God doesn’t dole out what we want when we want it. Many people create for themselves the God of their choice. They “think” they know who He is, but often these ideas are based on misconceptions. They want God to be who they want Him to be. Period. If they don’t like the God of the Bible, they just “change” Him to suit their needs.
Of course, believing in God-misconceptions not only allows one to live in ruses, but it can be hazardous to your spiritual health! “To each his own” doesn’t pass muster when we’re dealing with truth, and the ultimate misconception is believing that “everything will be alright in the end.” Some day, when we stand before the Lord at the end of our time, “but I thought…” just won’t cut it.
A radio station once reported a stolen car. It seems police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and its driver. Turns out, on the front seat of the car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use them as rat bait. The police knew the thief would wrongly assume the crackers were safe and edible – a deadly misconception! So now the police were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car.
So, here’s the bottom line – living in misconceptions should be the exception to avoid misdirection and self-deception as we head with determination and motivation in the upward direction towards a heavenly reception! Not rocket surgery!
Bob and Susan Beckett pastor the Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org
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