Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.
Is God your friend? My spiritual director said to me once, “You always think of God as an authority figure: king, ruler, boss, law-giver, judge. Do you ever think of him as friend or father?”
Good question. It exposed something in me. My church told me Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. But mine was an arms-length relationship with God, a business relationship, not personal at all.
Something like me and a lawyer. God supervised the legal transaction where Jesus took my sin and I went free. Very professional.
As I struggle endlessly to control thoughts and manage behavior, I often feel I am working alone, rolling stones up a mountain, while God and Jesus stand at a distance as observers and judges.
But in John 15 Jesus said, “I’m going to stop calling you servants. Now we are friends” (v. 15).
Okay. Friends with Jesus. But what does that look like when we go out for coffee? Is it me sitting alone with two coffee cups? If I talk to my invisible friend, will people think I’m weird?
Next, Jesus talks about enemies, saying, “If the world hates you, it hated me first” (v 18). That’s encouraging. I’m queued up behind Jesus to be hated?
But I’m not doing what they hated Jesus for. I don’t excoriate Pharisees or promote a new religion. I don’t call myself God or question established religion. When Paul came to town, there were riots. When I come to town, they serve tea.
I practice flashlight Christianity. As Jesus said, ”Let your light shine so people will see your good works” (Mat 5:16).
John 15. Jesus on friends and enemies. Maybe my spiritual life needs both.
Let’s pray.
O Father, I do good works to build my reputation. I don’t attract hate like Jesus did. I don’t call religious leaders hypocrites. I don’t post outlandish content online. I live a quiet life, a peaceful life.
Help me become Jesus’ friend. To understand what he and I can accomplish together. To hang out with him in the privacy of my heart, in the fellowship of my church, in my journey through the world. Help me share my struggles with him, listen to his opinions, and walk as he walked.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube.
Pray with Me 