God is nice and He likes me

I accidentally walked into a New Age store the other week thinking they were selling handbags (the store was called the Bag Lady). I found it quite interesting to look around there for a while on all their books and stuff. What caught my attention more than anything was a bumper sticker that simply said: "Don't make me come down there - God". That sentence left me really sad and troubled and I have been contemplating on it ever since. It represents such a huge misconception of who God is. This view of God is way too common among people - people who call themselves Christians and people who don't call themselves Christians alike... Even if I know in theory and through experience that God is good I sometimes buy into that lie too, the lie that God is the big police up in the sky and that I am in trouble in one way or the other. Last night I heard a talk about grace and the following questions came up, questions to see if you are comfortable with grace: Would you (metaphorically) wear a T-shirt that said: "God is nice and He likes me". How about this one: "God loves you but I am His favorite" These are fundamental truths. The truth that I am LOVED by God. Even LIKED. I AM his favorite. So are you and everybody else in this world, but I need to know that I am his favorite - that is the fundament for the rest of my life, my thoughts, emotions, deeds... That is the thermometer with which I can check and see if I have a healthy heart - am I filled with love, hope and faith? In any area of my life where love or hope or faith is missing - that is an area where I need healing... God is not a threat in the sky that we need to watch out for and protect ourselves against ("You better behave or else... God sees you wherever you are... etc) We live under a friendly sky! God is the garbage man of the world that came to take away all my garbage! I don't need to hide anything.