Friendship with God
Friendship with God is not so different from friendship in general. Friendship is something we all recognize but find difficult to define or reduce to its component parts. Lists of the qualities of friendship contain words such as honesty, loyalty, respectfulness, trustworthiness and much more. But in truth, friendship cannot be quantified. Either someone is a friend, or he/she is not. It is something we know intuitively rather than deductively. Using that intuitive sense is what brings us to the beginning of our discussion about how to effectively build healthy spiritual relationships.
I want to begin with the most crucial and perhaps complicated spiritual relationship, which is friendship with God. Now, for some, the idea of having God as a friend may be a little difficult to grasp. Unfortunately, God has gotten a rather checkered reputation as being angry, vengeful, destructive, punishing, rigid, demanding, and downright terrifying. At the same time, we are told that God loves us unconditionally. Which sounds a little like a schizophrenic or bi-polar friend who is one kind of person on one day and another kind on the next. However, the fact that God has been awarded that negative reputation doesn’t make it true. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. If God is anything, God is consistent, dependable, and stable. God isn’t capricious, and God’s love for us is unconditional. The problem is WE are not consistent, dependable, and stable. I’m not suggesting we are schizophrenic or bi-polar, but we may have trouble dealing with a friend who remains absolutely consistent in attitude, thought and action, and doesn’t change according to our moods, wants, and desires.
As human beings, we tend to have trouble with just about anything or anyone we cannot influence to do things our way. So, the challenge of being friends with God is in developing the ability to allow God to be God, without trying to control or manipulate the relationship. This is a challenge because God will not attempt to control or manipulate friendship with us in any way. God will allow us to think, to do, and to be whatever we choose without interference. That is not to say God is indifferent. Quite to the contrary, God wants what is best and healthiest for us in life, as any loving and caring friend would. And God continues to try to guide and show us how to live in those realities. But God will not force us or stand in our way if we choose to go down the wrong path. And God will not protect us from the consequences of our negative choices.
Friendship with God is actually the unique model for what friendship among people ought to be. God doesn’t have to be convinced to be our friend, which is exactly the kind of relationship God wants to have with us. Regardless of the temperament, emotional state, or attitude in which we might find ourselves, God’s unchanging love, guidance and acceptance will still be available when we decide to choose it.
Sensible Spirituality
A down to earth, non-religious, how-to-guide for living with your whole heart and mind
While there are a multitude of books about personal development and spiritual growth, author and storyteller P. Michael Davis goes down a different path by offering a real-life conversation about how to build and maintain a positive and spiritually healthy life.
His approach is thoroughly non-religious, entertaining, and devoid of jaw clenching seriousness. He will walk you through the whys and how tos of spiritual awareness, spiritual relationship building, spiritual love, and spiritual parenting for children and adolescents.
Sensible Spirituality is available, by clicking the book cover above, in kindle, paperback, and audio book formats at Amazon.com.