The other day, I had an impromptu (well, as impromptu as can be done in the will of God!) conversation with a good friend of mine. After asking how work and life was going, the conversation went something like this:
Him: How is your relationship with Jesus?
Me: What does that mean? I don't know how exactly to answer that question. I read the Bible, pray, make changes in my life, and that's it.
H: What do yuo mean?
M: I don't know how to describe my relationship with Christ.
H: You should be able to talk about your relationship with Jesus like you talk about your relationship with a friend.
M: I cannot do that because I cannot physically see Jesus but I do see my friends.
H: How's your prayer life, what is it you ask for and how do you pray?
M: I said that I ask for things that I need, and if I don't receive them, that means that God does not want me to have it yet, and it doesn't mean that He did not answer but that He may give it later.
H: Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us, thus your barrier of not physically seeing Jesus does not negate the fact that the Holy Spirit speaks to us, convicts us and guides us. Hebrews 11:1 says that we have communication with Jesus and God because of the Holy Spirit, and if He lives in you, you know Him and He knows you. You hear His voice. You might want to check your view with scripture's view, because your understanding of a relationship with Jesus and the Bible's description of a believer's relationship with Jesus seem to say two distinctly different things.
Well, the conversation ended because he had to leave and I was left somewhat taken aback by it all. After an email I sent him, he stated that when he asks, "How is your walk with Jesus?" it means, "How are you growing . . . how does the victory of Jesus over sin and death through His death on the Cross and ressurrection affect your struggles lying, deception, pride, self-confidence, fear of authority, loneliness? Because Galatians 5 tells us that it is for freedom that Christ set us free - are you finding freedom?"
The phrases, :"How is your relationship with Jesus?", "How is your walk with Jesus?", "What is the illuminating light of the truth showing you about yourself?", "How is the truth of God changing you, your sinful desires?" and another one I've heard, "What is Jesus teaching you?" I find rather silly and unusually cryptic, like some kind of inside Christian code phraseology. I'm 43 and I NEVER talk to my Christian brothers and sisters like that. If I want to engage them in a conversation, I say EXACTLY what I mean: "HEY! How are things going in your life?"
My questions are: Doesn't ANYONE talk like this anymore? And, why not simply ask, "How are you doing in your sin struggles that we've discussed previously?
Yeah, I know, the phraseology sounds so "romantic" and pleasing to the ear, but, you know, I just want honest engagement, without the frills and shine.
Am I the only one who sees this?
A peek into my mind, to hear the thoughts of a 40-something single male as he walks this planet called Earth.
John M. Kirton II
DISCLAIMER: This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here represent my own solely and not those of The Village Church, her ministers, pastors, administrators, staff, covenant members, regular attenders or visitors; my parents; my alma mater, Dallas Christian College, her administration, faculty, Board, alumni, or students, past, present and future; or my employer and fellow employees.
My Story
- John M. Kirton II
- I attended public school for two years and private school for the remainder of my education. After graduation, I attended Bible college in Dallas, Texas, for four and one-half years consecutively. Unfortunately, I failed a class and was unable to graduate with my class but God enabled me to re-take the course and I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Bible and minors in Youth Ministry and Biblical Languages in 1994. After failing the aforementioned course, I had continued attending a church but began to falter in my faith. It was during my second year after my Bible college years that I was introduced to the International Churches of Christ (ICOC), where I became a member and was involved for twelve years. It was not until my twelfth year that, after much prayer from my parents and closest friends, Greg Faure and Wayne Stiles, I became convinced that the ICOC was a religious sect. In June, 2000, I left the ICOC and became a covenant member of The Village Church in Highland Village, TX, in April, 2004.
