9. For me to have a growing relationship with Jesus, to come to know Him intimately, I will need to feel safe with Him.

Are there ways that God seems dangerous, risky, or unsafe? Does He make you feel uncomfortable?

What would cause you to feel unsafe with God?

What evidence or ideas do you have that would cause you to believe that God is safe?

Talk to God about your fears or anxiety. What do you sense God saying?

Do relationships in general cause you anxiety? How might your relationships with others shape how you feel with God?

It is natural to have some anxiety about questions regarding what happens to us when we die. These questions can sometimes cause us to fear God. And there is in fact a healthy fear and respect of the Lord. However, such fear is an only partially accurate and incomplete response to who God is. 

It is not surprising that an unbalanced fear of God may make a relationship with God feel unsafe. If we want to feel safe with God, we will need to reimagine our perception of Him. This is where our knowledge of Scripture and the stories of Jesus will be invaluable to help us understand, and experience, a God who is safe to be with, a God who won’t hurt us.

For those who were wounded by the authority figures in their lives this change of perspective may be difficult. For women who have been manipulated and abused by men a masculine Father-God image may feel unsafe.

Looking at the way Jesus treated others, however, can help anyone who needs to grow their image of God as someone with whom we can be safe. Have you noticed how everyone seems to have felt safe around Jesus? 

We need to come to that place, too. And we will, as we learn to hear Jesus speak to us, reassuring us that we are safe with Him and that He will never hurt or manipulate us. Getting to this place is essential in developing a clear and correct image of God.