Let’s just start here: What are the attributes of God — and why does that phrase sound like something I would’ve highlighted in yellow in a theology textbook and then immediately forgotten after the test?
I used to think the “attributes of God” were just fancy church words. Omnipotent. Omniscient. Immutable. Words that feel like they belong in a seminary classroom, not in my messy kitchen while I’m reheating coffee for the third time because I forgot about it.
But somewhere between adulthood, bills, kids asking deep questions at 9:47 p.m., and a random Tuesday where everything went sideways… I realized this stuff actually matters.
Like, deeply.
Not in a “gold star for knowing doctrine” way.
In a “this changes how I survive Thursday” kind of way.
You ever feel like that?
1. God Is All-Powerful (Omnipotent)… and That’s Kinda Comforting
So yeah. One of the classic attributes of God explained in church is that He’s omnipotent. All-powerful.
When I was younger, that just sounded dramatic. Like Marvel-level dramatic.
(Insert GIF idea here: Thanos snapping fingers. Because honestly, that’s how my brain pictured it.)
But here’s the thing.
Life feels wildly out of control sometimes. I can’t control gas prices. I can’t even control my own snack cravings at 10 p.m.
If God’s power is limited, then we’re all basically winging it in a chaotic universe.
But if He’s actually all-powerful?
That means the chaos doesn’t win.
That means when things look insane — globally, politically, personally — there’s Someone bigger than the mess.
Not distant. Not bored. Just… bigger.
And that matters.
2. God Is All-Knowing (Omniscient)… Which Is Slightly Terrifying
Okay, this one used to freak me out.
God knows everything. Past. Present. Future. My thoughts. The stuff I almost said but didn’t.
Yeah. That part.
I remember being like, “Cool cool cool… so privacy doesn’t exist?”
But over time, I realized something about this characteristic of God in the Bible: His knowledge isn’t creepy surveillance. It’s relational.
He knows the stuff I don’t even have words for.
The anxiety that feels stupid to explain.
The jealousy I’m embarrassed about.
The doubt I’d never say out loud at Bible study.
He already knows.
And He doesn’t flinch.
You know how freeing that is?
It means I don’t have to impress Him. I don’t have to curate a spiritual highlight reel. He sees the whole thing — bloopers included.
(If you’ve ever read Psalm 139, it hits different when you’re 35 instead of 15. Trust me.)
3. God Is Unchanging (Immutable)… and Thank. Goodness.
Let me be honest.
I am inconsistent.
I start diets on Mondays and abandon them by Thursday.
So the idea that God is unchanging? That He doesn’t wake up in a bad mood? That His promises don’t depend on vibes?
That’s huge.
Culture shifts. Trends flip. Opinions evolve.
But God’s character doesn’t suddenly rebrand itself.
His love is steady.
His mercy is steady.
It’s not trendy. It’s eternal.
And in a world that reinvents truth every six months, that’s grounding.
4. God Is Holy… Which Is Not Just a Church Word
Holiness used to sound like “don’t have fun.”
Like super serious. No laughing allowed.
But holiness isn’t about being stiff. It’s about being completely set apart. Completely pure. Completely other.
Which means God isn’t corrupted by the junk that corrupts us.
He’s not manipulative.
He’s not passive-aggressive. (Unlike me in traffic.)
His holiness means His love isn’t mixed with selfishness. His justice isn’t mixed with cruelty.
And honestly? I need that.
Because human power without holiness is dangerous.
5. God Is Love — But Not the Hallmark Kind
This one gets quoted a lot. “God is love.” It’s on mugs. T-shirts. Instagram captions.
But when we talk about God’s love and justice together, things get interesting.
Because real love isn’t just affirming everything I do.
It corrects.
It sacrifices.
I didn’t understand that until I had kids.
When my child runs toward the street, I don’t gently affirm their journey. I grab them.
That’s love.
And when God calls something sin, it’s not because He’s anti-fun. It’s because He sees the collision coming.
That changed everything for me.
6. God Is Just — and That’s Actually Good News
Can we talk about justice for a second?
Because we all want justice… until it applies to us.
I want wrongs made right. I want corruption dealt with.
That desire? It reflects something.
The attributes of God include justice. Meaning evil doesn’t get the final word.
And I’ll be honest — in today’s world, that keeps me sane.
When I see injustice in the news and feel powerless, I remember: God sees it too. And His justice isn’t performative. It’s real.
Now… the part where I also need mercy? That’s where grace comes in.
Which brings me to —
7. God Is Merciful… Which Is Why I’m Not Toast
If God were only just, I’d be in trouble.
Deep trouble.
But mercy means He doesn’t give me what I deserve.
I think about this every time I lose my temper. Or act selfish. Or spiral in doubt.
Mercy isn’t God lowering the bar. It’s God stepping in.
And for Christians, that stepping in has a name: Jesus.
I won’t get overly preachy here — but the cross makes zero sense unless you understand the attributes of God working together.
Love.
Justice.
Holiness.
Mercy.
All colliding at once.
And somehow not canceling each other out.
8. God Is Present (Omnipresent)… Even When I Feel Nothing
This one is personal.
There have been seasons where I didn’t feel God at all.
No goosebumps. No emotional worship moments. Just… quiet.
And I almost equated that with absence.
But one of the core characteristics of God in the Bible is that He’s omnipresent. Meaning there’s nowhere I can go where He isn’t.
Even in dryness.
Even in grief.
Feelings are unreliable narrators.
God’s presence isn’t.
That realization kept me from walking away during a hard year.
Why the Attributes of God Matter Today (Like, Right Now)
If God is weak — we’re doomed.
If God is unloving — hope dies.
But if the attributes of God are real?
Then:
• There is meaning.
• There is accountability.
• There is hope.
• There is grace.
And not in a cheesy motivational poster way.
In a gritty, everyday survival way.
When I’m overwhelmed.
When I’m angry.
Who God is determines how I respond.
It determines whether I panic or pray.
Whether I spiral or surrender.
A Random Side Thought (Because My Brain Does This)
I once read a blog on faith over at Relevant Magazine (relevantmagazine.com) that talked about how our view of God shapes our mental health. That stuck with me.
Also, C.S. Lewis (yeah, the Narnia guy — cslewis.com) wrote about how what we believe about God changes how we see everything else.
And honestly?
They’re right.
If God is small in my mind, my problems get huge.
If God is big — truly big — my problems shrink to human size.
Still real. Still painful.
But not ultimate.
So… What Are the Attributes of God, Really?
They’re not just theological bullet points.
And they’re anchors.
They’re the reason grace feels scandalous and not cheap.
And maybe — just maybe — they’re the reason faith isn’t wishful thinking but grounded hope.
I don’t have this perfectly figured out.
Some days I doubt. Some days I question.
But every time I circle back to the attributes of God — His power, His knowledge, His love, His justice, His mercy — I find something solid again.
Not hype.
Solid.
And in 2026, with everything moving at lightning speed and everyone arguing about everything online, solid is rare.
So yeah.
That’s why it matters.
Not because it makes me sound smart at church.
But because it helps me live — imperfectly, awkwardly, sometimes sarcastically — with hope.
And honestly?
That’s enough for me.
