How do you envision Elohim יהוה ? What words you use to describe the
Almighty Creator of heaven and earth are of the utmost importance. Do
you see him as a tyrant or a dictator? Do you see him as your loving
Father? The reason that I ask these questions is because it’s of
vital importance how we as Christians describe our Father in heaven.
Most Christians use the “global metaphor” God to describe him and
Lord.

I personally don’t prefer these words and allow me to show you why…

1Co 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven
or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

Now compare…
1Co 8:5 For even if there are so-called mighty ones, whether in heaven
or on earth – as there are many mighty ones and many masters –

My father and creator is set apart from all the others and is worthy
of being set apart and above all other concepts and ideas. If I do an
internet search on the word god, I find millions of references and
that’s because the word god is a global metaphor that describes a
concept of a mighty being. My father in heaven is more then just a
mighty being, he’s the Almighty Father, Elohim. The words that we use
to describe things helps us to associate the emotions we attach to the
objects we describe. This same principle applies to all things in
life.
An interesting fact of psychology is that that if you want to change a
persons behavior, change the metaphor they associate themselves
with.

An example of this is most prominent in dealing with children and I’d
like to challenge each of you to try this out yourself. We all
associate certain names with different people and those name
associations form the bases for behavior. Tell your little girl that
she’s a princess, don’t be surprised when she starts to act like
one. If you use metaphors that people understand it helps them to
translate who they are and what they are doing.

To that end, do you “keep” the commandments or do you “guard” them.
Keeping the commandments can be associated as guarding them but it’s
also attached to never breaking them. We know that in biblical
history most of the greatest leaders failed at keeping the
commandments but they did guard them… They kept those commandments
close to their hearts and made them a part of the way that they made
choices. That’s the power of words and it’s something that I’d like
to see somebody go and experiment with this, especially if you have
children. Take a look at the metaphors that your using and when you
see negative associations, change them and see how the emotions
attached to those words change not only in you but in those around
you.

So, back to the original question… How do you describe our heavenly
Father and then share with me how that makes you feel.

It's important because it effects how you speak of the Good News and
what your sharing..

Shalom,

Snow

Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human
beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives
and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally
save their lives.
Tony Robbins