Our God concept is what we profess to be true as faithful, orthodox Catholics and is based on our catechism and the teachings of the Church. Our God image, however, is what we feel in our unconscious about God when we’re in our dark place. We experience tension when our God concept conflicts with our God image.

"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,

slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.”

Everyone has a God concept. This is what we profess to be true about God and what we know intellectually. It reflects the teachings of the Church, the Bible and our catechism. It’s what we believe in our conscious mind.

We also have a God image. This is what we feel to be true about God in our unconscious when we’re in our dark place. It’s often based on our experiences in this sinful world and incorrectly generalizes to God.

We experience tension when there is conflict between our God concept and our God image. In a way, we need to internally evangelize those unconscious parts of us that hold an untrue God image.

Much of our God image is formed before we are two years old and definitely before the age of reason. For instance, if we’re taught that God loves us and will protect us, but then experience abandonment, abuse or neglect as a child, it’s easy to generalize those human experiences to God.

You can’t reason your way out of an incorrect God image. You have to allow God’s grace to provide an experience to help you remove these psychological impediments.

Answer the following questions to help you begin to understand your personal God image. Begin by imagining you’re in your dark place. It may be a place of depression, anxiety, shame or inferiority. Reflect on these questions:

Bringing these reflections to consciousness can help you understand what to pray for. God wants our brokenness so He can heal us.