Ask Yourself

 

What is Your Image of God?
By Dr. Bill Gaultiere

Here’s a self-test I developed called the "God Image Questionnaire" (GIQ). The GIQ is meant to help you better understand how you see God on an emotional level. Each question asks about your feelings in your relationship with God. Please answer according to your feelings or experiences and not your opinions or beliefs about God. Read each question and then circle "T" for true and "F" for false.

1. At times I feel that God doesn't give His full attention to the details of my life. T F

2. When I need God it sometimes feels like He does not help me very much. T F

3. I feel like God sometimes withholds good things from me. T F

4. I feel disregarded by God at times. T F

5. I feel that God is distant from me. T F

6. At times I feel pressured to do something for God that I don’t want
   to do. T F

7. I feel I have to do something to obtain God’s favor. T F

8. To please God I feel I must measure up to His expectations. T F

9. When I confess my sin I don’t always feel forgiven by God. T F

10. At times it feels unfair the way God treats me. T F

11. If I’m in a threatening situation I tend to feel unprotected by God. T F

12. I feel that my abilities are unimportant to God. T F

13. I feel unsure about whether or not God has a purpose for my
    future. T F

14. When I really need God I tend to feel left on my own. T F

15. I feel that I may be a bother to God if I talk to Him about a decision I need to make. T F

16. I feel that I don’t get enough help with my problems from God. T F

17. At times I feel deprived of good things by God. T F

18. I feel insignificant to God. T F

19. I feel removed from God. T F

20. Sometimes I feel controlled by God. T F

21. If I want God to do something for me then it feels like it helps my cause to do something for Him. T F

22. I feel disapproved of by God. T F

23. After I tell God I am sorry I still feel He may be upset with me. T F

24. I feel harshly judged by God sometimes. T F

25. If someone tries to take advantage of me I tend to feel undefended
    by God. T F

26. I feel that my abilities are doubted by God. T F

27. I feel unsure of whether or not God has special plans for my
    future. T F

28. In difficult times it feels like God isn't at my side. T F

 

Scoring:

To score and understand your GIQ use the table below. It has 14 rows, one for each of the 14 aspects of God’s perfect love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. (The first word or term for each aspect of love is from the NIV translation and the other words are my definitions.) There are two questions ("Quest") for each aspect.

"False" answers to any question on the GIQ indicate a generally and usually positive experience of God’s love (or image of God) in that particular aspect.

Follow these four steps:

1. Circle each of the 28 questions that you answered with "false."

2. Count one point for each "false" answer.

3. Add up the total for each row (aspect of God’s love). Scores should range from 0 to 2. Scores of 2 indicate your God Image strengths, areas where you have a positive experience of that aspect of God’s love. Scores of 0 indicate your God Image weaknesses, areas where you’re struggling to feel God’s love and need help.

4. Add up your total GIQ score for all 14 rows combined. Scores should range from 0 to 28. Higher scores mean a closer and more loving relationship with God, an image of God that is more positive and true to the God of the Bible