5: Am I Just Believing in the God I Want?

🎙 Episode 5 – Am I Just Believing in the God I Want?One of the most common critiques I hear is that I’m just “making up God the way I want Him to be.”In this episode of What I Do Believe, I slow down to unpack that pushback. I name the assumptions underneath it—like the idea that desire equals deception, or that believing in love is the easy way out—and why those assumptions don’t actually hold up.Because the truth is, believing that God is love doesn’t make life simpler. It forces me to let go of certainty, superiority, and control. It means learning to trust worth that’s rooted in love, not in comparison. And it means rethinking what faithfulness really looks like when it’s not measured by endless “shoulds.”In this episode:​Why “wanting God to be loving” isn’t self-deception​How everyone cherry-picks scripture (and why honesty matters more than pretending not to)​Why love is actually harder than judgment​The difference between “shoulds” that weigh you down and “coulds” that give life​Why the so-called “slippery slope” can actually lead deeper into faith, hope, and loveIf you’ve ever been told you’re just making God in your own image, this episode might give you language and freedom to believe in love anyway.🔗 Links & Resources🌐 Website – whatidobelieve.com👉 If this episode resonates, subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need to hear it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zacharybryant.substack.com