Personal Relationship Hype
 
A personal relationship with Jesus?
What exactly does that mean?  Is Jesus my buddy?
 
A common practice of mine while on staff as a youth pastor was to challenge students to see what a relationship with God really looks like.  Challenging them to see it as more than the sum of their efforts to do Christian tasks correctly.  I challenged students to recieve God's love for them and to develop a friendship with him.  My goal was to get them to fall in love with Christ rather than simply following a religious regiment.  I've pursued this to the nth degree in my own life and honestly I've found that I define a "relationship with Christ" more as a friendship than I believe the bible entends.
 
I think the term "relationship with Jesus" exaggerates what we actually experience on this earth.  I don't have coffee with Jesus every morning.  Honestly, I don't think he's my buddy.
Reiterating what C.S. Lewis has said, "he is not safe".  Given the power, my friends and loved ones  would never allow the things to happen to me and my family that He has allowed.  
 
Please don't misunderstand me.  I am not bringing accusations against God, only my definition of our "relationship".  I believe if Jesus was my friend as I define friendship things in my life would look much different.  Christ is my savior, my hope, he is all that I long for.  But today I cannot see his face.   He does not physically hold me.   He doesn't fit my definition of a buddy.
 
To elevate or lower a relationship with Jesus to friendship makes no sense to me and I believe it causes us to miss out on a very important  new testament truth.  We are His body.  I don't get to walk on the beach with Him as Peter did.  I hope to some day hold his hand and speak with him face to face.  Until then, the closest thing I have is you. 
Come quickly Lord Jesus.


posted by Andy at 6:07 PM | |