Day 12 - Developing Your Friendship With God
Today’s reading reminds us that we can be as close to God as we choose to be. It doesn’t happen by accident. Like any relationship it takes time, desire and energy. If you want a deeper, intimate and closer connection with God, you must learn to honestly share your feelings with him, trust him and of course if (when) he asks something of you, you obey him. (Because you love him…)
Another secret to learn to developing your friendship with God is to be absolutely honest with him. This really is the first building block to build a deep friendship with God. We find this at work in our relationships here on earth don’t we? We cannot build a deep lasting friendship with people we do not trust, or we can be completely honest with. In the same way we should be able to be completely honest and trusting with God.
The interesting thing is that the emphasis is on an expectation of honesty from us, not perfection. If perfection were the key, well, none of us would be able to stand before him. What is expected is that we honestly share our feelings, frustrations, complaints, fears, reservations, hopes, dreams and anything else that comes to mind with him. That is what friends do.
The bible is full of the people that God considered friends that show this side of honesty.
Look at King David, who after committing adultery and then killing Bathsheba’s husband Uriah, he feel to his knees, admitted his sin and God heard him, had mercy, and then said that “David is a man after my own heart…” How can this be? He was honest about his failure. He didn’t try and justify his sin blaming his circumstances.
Genuine friendship is built on disclosure. God listens to the passionate words of his friends. To be God’s friend, you must be honest with him and share what is really going on with you. He longs to hear it and it brings him pleasure.
Another area that can be difficult to offer up honestly is past hurts that may have turned to bitterness. Bitterness, anger resentment and disappointments are huge blockages to experience friendship. Think about this for a moment. Most of us have experienced something that we can either be mad about, or hold on to that instead of lifting to God, we are mad at God. Are you even honest about being mad at him? After all you didn’t deserve that disappointment, hurt, divorce, loss, etc, etc…
There are people that are hurt by past church experiences. Are you one of them? Can you be honest before your Friend and admit that you are just plain mad about the hypocrisy, pain and things that have even been done by people that say they are “Christians?” Do you have what William Bakus refers to as the “hidden rift with God?”
Let’s look at some really great news…
Honestly releasing your resentment, bitterness, fears, pain and disappointments to God is the first step to healing. Just open the Bible to just about any Psalm, and you will see how honesty expressed is met with God’s compassion, mercy and healing. What a relief to know that rejection we may have felt from others, God can use to draw us nearer to himself…
Our reading today goes on to share another key of developing our friendship with God.
I must choose to obey God in faith.
Even when we really don’t understand or see the whole picture, our obedience to what God is saying to us, deepens and strengthens our relationship and friendship with him. Jesus said in John 15:14 that “You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command.”
We get this pretty twisted though. We stand back and resist the idea of anyone “commanding” us to do anything. Even if what we are being instructed to do is to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. We don’t obey out of duty and fear (although that can be a motivator) we obey out of our love of God understanding that though we don’t know everything, we trust him that he really does know what is best for us.
This is the exciting part!
Our obedience produces great joy! Jesus said, ” I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me you remain in my love, just as I obey the Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy, yes your joy will overflow.” John 15:9-11.
Isn’t it strange how we can passionately justify our disobedience, even be miserable with a deep longing for love and acceptance, and miss out on the fact that true joy, love and friendship with God is a ball that is in our court.
Two other key factors in growing in our friendship with God are also pointed out.
- I must choose to value what God values
- I must desire friendship with God more than anything else.
What does God value? What does God care about most?
He cares about his people. He cares about you…
God is not mad at you. He’s mad about you, he will do whatever he must do to bring YOU back into fellowship with him. If your passion and desire for God has dwindled over the years, just ask your friend to give it back to you! Just pray “Dear Jesus, more than anything else, I want to get to know you…”
Remember, it’s your choice.