It is interesting to hear people’s responses to the question, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” My friend Frank Clissold began asking that question of people after he had been struck by lightning. Responses are quite varied, including from Christians who answer a positive, “Yes!”
Some answer, “My mother wishes I did.” Others list their good points, such as, “I went to church as a child”, or “I like to help people”, and even “I’m a safe driver.”
Frank’s question, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” speaks to more than fearing God and trying to please Him, and more than just having a connection with God.
A personal relationship is one of deeper friendship and transparent openness. We can’t have a quality personal relationship with someone we don’t know and won’t be open and honest with.
That links in my mind to the centuries old ‘Westminster Catechism’ dating from 1647. It says “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever.” Glorifying God speaks to obedience, fear of God, honour to God and so on. But the idea of enjoying God speaks to relationship, even deep personal relationship, where we closely share with God in all we do.
So, when someone says “I like to help people” to describe their connection with God, we see they are far from enjoying God.
Of course, as Christians, we serve God and bless others. But that is the ‘fruit’ of our relationship with God, not the source of relationship. We don’t get close to God by doing good, we get close to God and then do good out of the good work God does within us.
Let me assure you that God wants you to ‘enjoy’ Him. God wants you to be in sweet personal relationship with Him.
Note that right at the beginning God would visit Adam and Eve each day to walk with them in the garden. That’s a sweet, personal sharing, between the God of all eternity and God’s created beings.
“They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day”. Genesis 3:8
That fellowship was broken by sin, which is why Adam and Eve hid themselves.
“Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8
Yet God still desires that deep fellowship with mankind. That’s why the Bible talks about us re-establishing intimate relationship with God.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
“Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23
We also have the testimony of those through the centuries who entered into close relationship with God, talking about the joy and delight of being with God. This is the kind of relationship God wants with us.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4
“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
If you are not Enjoying God then you have likely not yet entered into relationship with God. You may think of God as someone to be feared and placated, but that’s not how God wants you to relate to Him. God wants to be your Father, and friend, Saviour and counsellor. He wants to be your Shepherd and your source of Love, Joy and Peace. He wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit.
It’s not wrong, then, to seek to meet with God and enter into relationship with Him. It’s not wrong to have God as your friend, and to speak with Him freely all the time. It’s not wrong to feel close to God and to enjoy Him. In fact, the point of your life is Enjoying God.
If you have been raised in church or even other religions you might find it hard to imagine feeling close to God. I know of churches where the constant theme is man’s unworthiness and man’s obligation to live right. In that atmosphere people are not given hope of being welcomed, loved or cherished by God, or of ever having God as their friend.
It is not an offence to God to have His Children, His followers, as His friends.
“The scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” James 2:23
“From now on I don’t call you servants; for the servant does not know what his master does, but I have called you friends, for all I have heard from my Father I made known to you.” John 15:15
I urge you to invite God to be your Friend. I urge you to allow God to get close to you, even to enter your heart. I urge you to put your faith in Christ and to realise that God then makes you His child. Allow yourself to enjoy being a child of God, and a friend of God.
Then set yourself on a life journey of delighting in God and all His blessings as you discover what it is to live Enjoying God.
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