Personally, I find it somewhat discouraging to hear the messages about our relationship with God and how we should constantly be talking to him through prayer and to always be reading our Bibles...because after all, you wouldn't NOT talk to your best friend right?
It seems like too much emphasis is placed on the "best friend" part of our relationship with Jesus and there has been a loss of the fearfulness of God that was so evident and prevalent throughout scripture. Don't get me wrong...I truly believe that as Christians, "praying continually" is beyond necessary and the Bible, well, it needs to be read. But the reverence and generally respect for a just, powerful, and omniscient God seems to have dwindled away. Simply put I think that there is obviously a huge difference between being so fearful that you don't feel that you can even be in God's presence and treating God like a "BFF"...or whatever. The importance of going to God with our problems and receiving comfort cannot be interpreted or related to any other relationship other than one between God and human beings.
Great post. Our relationship to God in Christ is unique, and while the scriptures to equate it to a friendship, and to a Father/Child relationship, it is clear that those analogies are not to be taken to the extreme of BFF.
ReplyDeleteI used to get so mad when preachers would write out their prayers, or use majestic language when they prayed to God, but it doesn't bother me anymore. There is a reason to use a different tone of voice in prayer, and to use the extents of your language, and even to be prepared in advance, and that is because the relationship is unique. On the flip side, basic prayer during daily living should be natural and free, but always reverent.
Good word Ben, really good word.