Message from Colleen Helman, High School Teacher

Recently, I asked my first-hour class what God was like. I got answers such as “He’s awesome,” “He’s cool,” and “He’s very big and powerful.” These are all great answers, but I was hoping for ideas a bit more profound and inspired to describe the characteristics of God.

Then, I read to the class from a wonderful book from which I draw many of our first-period devotions. One could have heard a pin drop as we proceeded through the “TOP 10” list of God’s qualities.

God’s Top Ten Qualities

10. God doesn’t need to ask for permission. He’s the chief, head honcho, boss, ruler, president, CEO of all that is. God has complete control.

9. God doesn’t die, pass away, kick the bucket. He’s the eternal one. He’s not
bound to time. He’s always been around. He sees the past, present, and future.
He’s got no beginning and no end. He is eternal.

8. God doesn’t need help when he watches “Jeopardy”; He knows all the answers
He knows all the questions. Nothing surprises Him. He created everything.

7. God doesn’t need to travel to get there. He is already there, always has been
there, always will be there. You can run, but you can’t hide. He sees you; He
never has His eyes off you. He fills all space. God is everywhere.

6. God doesn’t need to recharge His batteries. He doesn’t get tired, doesn’t have to
sit down, doesn’t need a rest. He has total strength, never lacks strength. He
can do all things at once. His strength has no end, no limits. God is all-powerful.

5. God doesn’t say, “Oops, I didn’t mean to do that.” He never changes His mind.
He doesn’t flip-flop, doesn’t have to rethink the issues. He always does what
He says He will do, keeps His Word. He keeps His promises. He’s the same
every day. The same yesterday, the same today, the same forever. God never
changes.

4. God doesn’t have to say, “Forgive Me, sorry, oh, was that your foot?” He never
made things go wrong, got a ticket, broke a law, was in any way incorrect. He’s
perfect. God is righteous.

3. God doesn’t have to appeal to a high court for justice; He is justice. He never
treats anybody unfairly, never shows favoritism, never picks one over the other.
He always shows mercy, always brings total justice. He’s fair, unbiased. God is
just.

2. God doesn’t lie. He never told a little white lie. He never stretched the truth, exaggerated, was confused, mistaken, or had the facts wrong. He’s not a deceiver. He’s always honest. If He says it true, bank on it. God is total truth.

1. God doesn’t wait until you’ve got you act together to love you. He loves you if you’re over weight, if you’re skinny, if you think you’re smart, if you think you’re dumb, if you brush your teeth, if you have no teeth, if you kick your dog. (Don’t kick the dog!) He loves you even when you sin, loved you while you were still sinning, loved you when you didn’t even know He loved you. His love is pure. His love is perfect. It never fails, never goes away, isn’t conditional. He gives it freely, doesn’t hold back, pours it on. Keeps it coming. God is love.

God is trustworthy because He is God. He doesn’t conform to a standard—He is the standard. He is holy because holiness is defined by who God is. He is the fullness of purity and righteousness.

From Extreme Faith by Neil T. Anderson and Dave Park

I wonder how well I would do describing the Most High God. How well do I daily portray God’s top ten qualities to my students? My prayer is that they will daily see these qualities in each of us.

BTW, I shared this Top 10 List with each of my classes that day. . and . . . during 5th period, one of the students asked why we always talk so much about Jesus dying for us. I was able to share the plan of salvation with the entire class. Please pray with me that God will use that explanation in the lives of these students as the year progresses.

Colossians 3:23