Some of us were goofy young men who would have these crushes on a pretty girl. Okay, more specifically, I was a young man who would have these crushes on a pretty girl. Proving my own goofiness and courage or stupidity, I would, every now and again, express my feelings for a pretty girl.
Most of the time I got a very sweet, “Let’s just be friends.”
This was just as wounding as a resounding “no.” I understand that it was meant to be a softened rejection, but it was a rejection nonetheless.
And upon further review, the rejection hurts because what is said in the “let’s just be friends” is that “I value one aspect of our relationship but do not desire to have all of you.”
Unfortunately we do the same to Jesus.
The difference is this. This pretty girl is well within her rights to define her relationship with me. In fact, I never actually blamed a pretty girl for realizing she was way out of my league … until I found one that didn’t seem to realize it so I married her.
But with God, it is different. There is no other God. It’s not like the other choices are better or could be. The omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, uncreated God has chosen to shower His love upon us through His Son Jesus Christ and says, “Accept all of me. In return I ask for all of you.”
And our answer sometimes is, essentially, “Oh … that’s sweet. But let’s just be friends.”
God is inseparable. Therefore, to reject even a part of Him is to reject all of Him. To have the opportunity to give your all to have His all in return, and to spurn that in any way is a rejection complete and total.
The greatest commandments? “Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus says, “You will find me if you seek me with your whole heart.”
There is not custom download on the Holy Spirit software. It is all or nothing with God. He makes this clear from Genesis through Revelation and through His Son and His Spirit.
You don’t get to piecemeal your relationship with God. It is the failing of the Church in this age and this culture that we don’t make this clear enough. “Just friend”-ing God separates you from Him just as surely as if you said, “No, I don’t believe in you at all.”
Peace.
Excellent word. Our church culture claims that Jesus is my BFF, but Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command.” People want a Jesus that supplements their lives, or enriches their lives, but they don’t want a Jesus that calls us to lay down our lives. It is easy to say ‘we’re best friends’, but it is hard to say, I’ll be his disciple.
If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me – Jesus. The cross is the death of the flesh – laying down our life and losing it in this world to gain it in Him.
Anyone who doesn’t hate his life in this world, cannot be my disciple – Jesus.
That’s a message that won’t draw the masses. But it will draw those who love Him.
Thanks for your post!