182. God's Heart Toward Us

182. God's Heart Toward Us

What drives someone to seek a life without numbing out, hiding, or pretending everything is fine with God?

This episode of Hope in Recovery sits right in that tension, asking a raw question many people in faith-based recovery wrestle with: "Is it really, truly safe to ask God for help?" Host Andy Petry, a grateful believer in Jesus who shares openly about his struggles with anxiety, depression, sexual addiction and grief, talks honestly about how our view of God can get badly twisted.

He contrasts them with what the Bible says about God’s character, reading passages such as Psalm 103, which says, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him," and Romans 2:4, highlighting that "God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance." He points to a God who moves toward pain, not away from it: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit," and reminds listeners that "a bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out." From there, he gently challenges anyone stuck in fear or distrust to question whether their ideas of God match the Jesus revealed in Scripture.

He names common beliefs people carry, like "God is angry at me when I sin" or "God loves me because he has to, but he’s pretty disappointed in me," and links them to real-life symptoms such as shame, hiding, spiritual burnout, and living a double life. Andy unpacks how these distorted ideas often come from our experiences with parents, authority figures, and even church culture.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God is tired of you, disappointed in you, or about to give up on you, this conversation may be a helpful place to pause, reflect, and ask: what if his heart toward you is far kinder than you think?