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The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren—A Synopsis (continued).
Chapter 12—Developing Your Friendship with God (pages 92-99)
Summary
A Christian always has options in the development of his friendship with God. He may be as close to God as he chooses to be—since He was created in the image of God, he was empowered to make the decision to accept God’s gift of salvation; and, he is empowered to exercise choice, which should be governed by the following six secrets of friendship with God:
Perfection is not required by God of His children; complete honesty is required! The matter of “perfection” in order to approach and reside in the presence of God is taken care of by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, but the matter of the quality of the relationship between a believer and the Father rests in the will and efforts of the believer. God expects his children to be brutally honest regarding the expression (to Him) of their faults and feelings at all times. There are numerous examples within the Bible of God’s children conveying to God their feelings, doubts and complaints in an honest and straight-forward fashion. In fact, the book of Psalms has catalogued every possible emotion in regards to this issue.
Christians often harbor deep-seated and tacit (unspoken) resentments against God regarding a variety of issues (past hurts, their appearance, “unanswered” prayers, etc.), which may be eliminated if they will just come to the understanding that God uses everything for good in their lives. Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship with God and is unnecessary if one will realize that God always acts in His children’s best interest. To approach God personally with one’s doubts is often the first step in spiritual healing and a closer friendship with Him.
All parent-child relationships entail faith-based obedience. Often it is necessary for the child to follow the parent’s instructions even though he doesn’t have all the facts and does not understand the reasons for the directions. It is no different in the relationship between God and His children. But unlike unbelievers, who only understand obedience stemming from obligation, guilt or fear; Christians obey because of their confidence (trust, faith) in God’s love for them and in the knowledge that God knows what is best for them.
God considers all acts performed for him, regardless of size, that are executed in the proper attitude of love and gratitude as worship. Expressions of God’s love and gratitude in many small acts of sharing God’s kindness and love toward others will outweigh the infrequent “great conquests” performed for God.
The Bible reveals almost nothing regarding Jesus prior to His introduction to His earthly ministry at His baptism, except to say that He lived obediently with His earthly parents (Luke 2:51)—and because of this, God the Father stated emphatically that He was pleased with Him at His baptism.
Friendship deepens between individuals who care about and share the same things. This is true of the relationship between God and His children. But there are two priorities that God most cares about and would have His children value as He does—first, the death of His Son and its meaning; and second, believers sharing this death and its meaning with the lost.
Friendship with God must be the Christian’s first priority—it must become a passion. Although such passion may ebb and flow throughout the Christian experience, God will never give-up on desiring a deep and abiding friendship with each one of His children. Any one of His children who have “fallen away” (not the loss of one’s salvation, which can never happen) may always make the choice to confess (own up to) his sins (1 John 1:9) and request passion-restoration.
Quotes
“You are as close to God as you choose to be.” (pg. 92)
“God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but He does insist on complete honesty.” (pg. 92)
“Genuine friendship is built on disclosure. What may appear as audacity God views as authenticity.” (pg. 94)
“God listens to the passionate words of His friends; He is bored with predictable, pious clichés.” (pg. 94)
“Expressing doubt is sometimes the first step toward the next level of intimacy with God.” (pg. 95)
“We obey God, not out of duty or fear or compulsion, but because we love Him and trust that He knows what is best for us.” (pg. 95)
“Because we have been forgiven and set free, we obey out of love—and our obedience brings great joy!” (pg. 95)
“His [Christ’s] relationship with His Father is the model for our friendship with Him [the Father].” (pg. 96)
“True friendship isn’t passive; it acts.” (pg. 96)
“We are often challenged to do ‘great things’ for God. Actually, God is more pleased when we do small things for Him out of loving obedience.” (pg. 96)
“Great opportunities may come once in a lifetime, but small opportunities surround us every day.” (pg. 96)
“God treasures simple acts of obedience more than our prayers, praise, or offerings.” (pg. 96)
“The dearest thing to the heart of God is the death of His Son. The second dearest thing is when His children share that news with others.” (pg. 97)
“The truth is—you are as close to God as you choose to be. Intimate friendship with God is a choice, not an accident.” (pg. 98)
“God is not mad at you; He’s mad about you, and He will do whatever it takes to bring you back into fellowship with Him.” (pg. 98)
Scriptures
Proverbs 3:32; James 4:8; Matthew 11:19; Job 42:7b; Exodus 33:1-17; 12-17; Job 7:17-21; Psalm 83:13; Jeremiah 20:7; Ruth 1:20; Psalm 142:2, 3a; John 15:14; 9-11; 1 Samuel 15:22; Matthew 3:17; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Psalm 69:9; 27:4; 63:3; Genesis 32:26; Philippians 3:10; Jeremiah 29:13; 1 Timothy 6:21a.
Conclusion/Comments
As the correct choice (to receive Jesus Christ by faith) is key to salvation, correct choices are key to developing a more genuine and passionate friendship with God. Choosing to be totally honest with God, to be obedient within the parameter of faith, to adopt God-based values, and to exercise a genuine desire to achieve greater friendship with Him are all keys to achieving a deep and significant friendship with Him. |