2 Healing Steps When You Disagree with the God of Your Parents

December 26, 2024 Jenn Murray

If you’ve been drawn to this post then you’re someone who is struggling to understand who God really is.
Something deep inside of you longs to be known, loved, and accepted by God. Something is telling you that there has to be more to the story.
That whatever version of God you’ve been taught about, raised with, or subjected to simply can’t be the real God.
Maybe you’ve been able to establish some distance in order to help give you clarity, but those teachings and perspectives are still lingering.
Or, maybe you’re still experiencing certain external pressures from church, family, or friends.
I understand this challenge well. It’s definitely tough when you’re in an environment that is consistently pressuring you to conform.
You long for clarity. You want to find the truth. But you’re in a place that routinely clouds your view of God.
But I’m here today, friend, to remind you of two vital truths:

In other words, your relationship with God includes just two people: you and God.
It’s hard dealing with external pressures, I know. Especially if it feels as if they’re pushing you in an unhelpful or even unhealthy direction.
But at the end of the day, other people - including your parents, aunts, uncles, or close friends - do not determine your relationship with God.
God desires a safe, healthy, deep, intimate, and loving relationship with you. And I’m going to venture to guess that He’s drawn you to this episode to help you take a few key steps in that direction.

Two, while community is absolutely important, it needs to be the right community.

I’m not saying that you should cut ties with your family, friends, or church.
However, you do need a core community that is truly God-centered, biblically-accurate, Jesus-centered, and full of people whose desire is to support your journey and growth.
I recently listened to a podcast interview with Gina Bianchini the CEO and founder of Mighty Networks:
“The only way to navigate rapid change and new challenges and ordeals and difficulties is through the power of community. … Community is the single most effective way to build new practices and change habits; and to innovate and create change in people’s lives. … People unlock results and transformation in their lives that they can’t otherwise get outside of the structure of a community.”
Even though Gina is talking about community in the general sense, her points are valid here.
You’re in a place where you’re desperately longing to build a personal relationship with God based on who He truly is.
Genuine, biblical knowledge is one vital component. But so is having the right community to help support you in this transformational place that you’re in.

This is your permission slip!
If you’ve been wrecked with guilt about going against the desires of your church or your parents, even though deep inside you don’t agree with what you’ve been told and you long for the truth, this is your permission slip from God!
The God who loves you, and who has drawn you to this episode, cares much more about you drawing close to Him than obeying your parents or pastor.
We don’t have time to dig into the biblical truth regarding this. But trust me when I say that, even though the bible says to “honor your father and mother,” Jesus talks about honoring God above all else.
Plus, true Christianity is, at its core, having a personal relationship with God. That’s why God created us - to be in relationship with Him.
So you can’t possibly get in trouble with God by taking steps to strengthen your relationship with Him.

The type of community that we just talked about? Relate Escape Place is that community.
It has genuine, biblical knowledge:

Mini courses
A tool kit collection with fun and practical third-party resources - some of them free!

However, in addition to the biblical knowledge, the community is what is really going to help you unlock the results!
To revisit part of Gina’s quote: “The only way to navigate rapid change and new challenges and ordeals and difficulties is through the power of community.”
Imagine if you…

Felt completely seen, loved, and accepted by God
No longer worried about pleasing Him to earn His love or favor
Were finally clear on who God truly is by replacing inaccurate teachings with genuine, biblical knowledge
Had answers to questions you’ve been asking, such as: Is God good? Who am I? Does God love me?
Felt securely wrapped in God’s love instead of weighed down by hopelessness and depression

Imagine if you finally felt like you were forging a truly personal relationship with God.
That’s what Relate Escape Place is made for!