I AIN'T MAD AT YA!

Good News- God is not mad at you. He is not out to get you, trip you up, make you stumble and fall or put obstacles in your way. He has already made peace with you through Jesus Christ. So, if He's already extended to you the peace pipe, why do you still believe that He is your enemy?
The bible says that God was in Christ reconciling the world to favor with Himself, not counting and holding against men their trespasses but cancelling them and committing to us the message of reconciliation (2Corinthians 5:19). The phrase "the world," means just that, the world = everybody. God has already restored harmony between Himself and everyone. It is already done. He did it. Our job is to be aware of the wonderful gift He's already given, receive it, enjoy it and make use of it.
The word "favor" means to be to the advantage of a person. God has reconciled everyone for their advantage as well as His own. Why? He loves us. He wants us. He created us for Himself, not as a self-centered act on His part but as Someone who wants to share a good thing. He is for you, not against you. He is present to help not to destroy or hinder.
It is amazing to witness the difference in the approach of a person who believes God is there to benefit them and the one who believes God is an angry punisher. The one who is secure in God runs to Him during the good times and the bad times much the same way lovers run into the arms of one another. There in those arms they find safety, comfort, love, support, understanding and an overall sense of well-being. In contrast, the person who is afraid of God and believes He is malicious, unforgiving, and resentful, stays away from Him or comes near trembling in fear, expecting to be struck down. This type of person believes God is only appoachable when certain rules and regulations have been dutifully followed.
For example, I once believed that my faithful church attendance made me ok with God. I didn't know that showing up every Sunday didn't mean much when I didn't even like the people with whom I fellowshipped. It never crossed my mind that God was more interested in what was going on in my heart than in my attendance. I believed that I was meeting God's requirements and as a result He should be pleased with me. If I performed like a good girl and did all the right things then I believed He would bless me.On the other hand, if I missed a Sunday service or didn't pray every day and read my bible, I thought I'd failed, which meant God was mad at me and I hadn't lived up to His standards. Afterall, doesn't God bless us when we behave like good little boys and girls? Praise God, His blessings are not based on our performance. He's much bigger than that!
Someone said, "You cannot love what you fear." It is this unhealthy fear of God that keeps us away from Him, away from the One who's already taken a giant step towards us.
Several years ago, I attended a church where up and coming ministers were being groomed for the ministry. There was one young man who was very articulate, filled with biblical scriptures and just energized and overflowing with God. He talked about God all the time.
One day, I heard him say,"I'm scared. I don't want to go to hell." I was shocked and saddened to hear this from him because he sounded like a person who lived under the shadow of fear where one wrong move would mean severe punishment. He reminded me of a little boy frightened and scared to death of a father who had no mercy and no compassion. This young man's words reflected his life, which he lived very carefully like a person walking on eggshells, afraid that the smallest movement would wreck havoc everywhere. How stressful! His fiery preaching emanated from His cowering fear of God, not reverential fear and not from his love of God. Even though he was very vocal and prominent in the church, fear ruled his life. He was not sure if God was ok with him. All he had was the hope that in the end he would fare well and not go to hell.
The way a person sees God has an enormous impact on their life. It's vitally important to know that God loves us but we also need to regularly examine and if need be, change our view of God. In the bible, the book of Jeremiah 29:11 says that God's thoughts towards you are thoughts of peace and welfare to give you a future and hope. God is for you. He's always been rooting for you. He's already on your team.
Psalm 8:4- What is man that You, God are mindful of him and the son of earthborn man that You care for him? You have made him a little lower than heavenly beings, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
I don't know about you, but to me this sound like you are God's good thing!