What God and Pastors Want

08.31.14

Ezekiel 12.3 3 As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile's baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.  - God (ESV)

I sat and listened today as my pastor brought us a word from the Word. It seems he tries very hard to explain things to us thinking, perhaps they will understand. I think a lot of pastors try to get their people to understand. More so, I think God tries very hard to get us to understand, saying: perhaps this time they’ll get it. What is it that God and pastors want us to get?

Just this: everyone on this planet needs to hear the truth: God loves them and desires to be their friend forever. Call me naïve, call me simple; call me foolish and childish – the truth is simply this: God wants to be our Friend. It is also true that He wants to be our Father, but there comes a time in the life of the parent (divine or otherwise) when the relationship moves to a new stage of relationship called: friendship.

It is true that as we live God is our Father and will never stop being just that. But it is also true that that we are called to be His friends: No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15.15) Friendship on this level is something that most of us never get to – it’s a level of closeness and trust rarely experienced by humans; and it makes us uncomfortable. We want to love God but I think most of us are scared to death with what we think that might entail.

So God puts people, places and paths in front of us to get us to that place where perhaps we’ll get it; and embrace it, and live it, and most importantly, invite others to experience it with us. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. The people in Ezekiel’s day didn’t get it and we have a hard time with it as well.

Mostly, I think we think that the pastor gets it because it’s his job to get it; he gets paid to get it. Mostly, I think we’re afraid that God is going to take something from us we don’t want to give; or make us go somewhere, or do something, we don’t want to go or do. But God is relentless because He loves us. And His love is never stoppable.

And God puts continually people in front of us that cause us to think: Man! That person could use the love and presence of God in his/her life. What would happen in your town or mine if people on both sides of the equation would get it? I think life would get very interesting…

Father, thank You for You ceaseless love in calling me to friendship. Thank You for my pastor and his ceaseless reminding that we need You, and that You call us to friendship; and that You call us to ceaselessly tell others the same good news. Father help us – help me – not to resist… Perhaps we’ll understand – Amen.