People don't always have the purest intentions whenever they think of God. Sometimes, people are guilty of shaping Jesus Christ into the person they want Him to be in order to promote their self-interests.
This was what Pope Francis said on Wednesday during his general audience at the Vatican. "The admonition of Jesus is always present: Even today man constructs images of God that prevent him from enjoying His real presence," the pope said. "Some carve out a 'do it yourself' faith that reduces God in the limited space of their own desires and their own beliefs. But this faith is not conversion to the Lord that is revealed; in fact, it prevents Him from arousing our life and our conscience."
Pope Francis cited the different ways in which people create false images of God. He said some people use God's name and image to promote their own interests, or the interest of hatred and violence. Those individuals who do not believe in Christ's divinity even consider Him just a good and ethical teacher.
"For still others God is just a psychological refuge," Francis said, "where He is reassurance in difficult times: It is a faith turned in on itself, impervious to the power of merciful love of Jesus which pushes brothers."
It is also wrong, according to the pope, for people to "stifle" their faith by making it completely personal and ignoring the missionary aspect of the church, which is "capable of transforming the world and history."
"We Christians believe in the God of Jesus Christ, and our desire is to grow in the living experience of the mystery of love," he said. "We commit ourselves, therefore, to not place any obstacle in the way of the action of the merciful Father, but we ask the gift of a great faith to become ourselves signs and instruments of mercy."
