A Deal With God
I was on a ride-a-long last Sunday with one of my friends from Third Format who is a Gilbert officer. He introduced me to his closest friend in the force and we got to talking over some food. I asked him about his view of God and he told me that he and God had an agreement. Intrigued, I asked him for the details.
He told me that he agreed to not talk bad about God and that God wouldn’t talk bad about him.
Wow. I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry tears of remorse for such a broken image of God. Yet this implied fear/anger toward God is not unique to him. As I’ve reflected on that conversation since then I’ve been reminded of how many people out there live in isolation from a loving God who wants nothing more than to reconcile Himself to them. And it’s usually “Christians” who push them away. How do we be the church for people like this?
This is the personal blog of Jeremy Jernigan. Husband, father, teaching pastor, and student of truth.
Jeremy, it is too bad he feels that way about God. It’s really a defeating state of mind, in my opinion. In your place, I would feel defeated because… how do you reply to that? It’s like, maybe I know Him, maybe I don’t. I’d rather stay in the middle of the river and jump to whichever bank is not flooding when I REALLY have to make that decision. This sounds much like the bad experience with church we always talk about.. maybe someone talked poorly of him in a group that he trusted in church, or he felt isolated in a church BODY as a whole, when he really wanted close community, and could resolve nothing else than to remain neutral on the subject of God. I have experienced the aforementioned situations, and it may be a pride issue. “Why do I need God to crutch on? I can do it on my own.” No way! Life is hard with God, as those shirts in Berean say, but it’s Hell without Him! A little over the top maybe but the general idea is there. What we CAN do is offer him kind words, a promise at a new experience, but not a pressure to join “our” church, come consistently and give every cent of his money away. Encourage him that his experience with God is not unique; that many struggle in that way, and that we (meaning you and I, Jeremy) know tons of individuals who would love to help him through that. Who wants to do life alone without an unbreakable back bone? I know I wouldn’t, and that’s what keeps me coming back to church; although people may fail us, God never fails, always has our back. And that’s the one thing he could count on, WHEREVER he chooses to attend worship, if he does so choose. This is a great conversation stimulant Jeremy, thanks for sharing it!
-Aim
jeremy, you ARE being the church for this guy. you are being present, available and interested in who he is. there is nothing more he needs from you or anyone else.
Thanks for this, Jeremy! I’ve put my comment over at the 3F website.
God bless you both–Zach, Romi! Sure something to read the comments coming in from these short pieces. As an older guy(yes, that baby boomer battalion!) have confidence in the young generation when I read and see what you are up to!
Check out “Why Men Hate Going to Church.” Tough men. Well, tough Jesus!
Where we are, there we serve. You know the Greek “doulos” is translated servant but the strong meaning is “slave.”
Charles