A new popular TV show on CBS called "God Friended Me" implies that God will enter into our world because we need help. Reviews show that this show merges religion and facebook with the sprinkling of doubt.
In my opinion, the show is definitely a pluralist view of God. There are many different worldview elements spread throughout the show.
I could do a worldview breakdown of the show but it would not suffice for the direction that I want to write. I want to focus on God being a friend.
This show made me contemplate my overall view of God. Can we become "friends" with God? Does God want to be "friends" with us?
As my previous article says, I want to capture chapters of a book through this blog. The theme is about life's journey. Each of us walk through life experiencing different failures, interrupts, successes and victories. I am not limiting our experiences to only those categories, thus I think you get my point. The experiences in life's journey is our individual story throughout the fabric of history. Some stories are filled with unbelievable victories and others go through the cyclical spiral. While others have soul crushing lows. Sufficient to say life's journey impedes many challenges and sometimes it is therapeutic to read another person's perspective of their life's journey.
This cyclical spiral is the mark of life's journey and when it is connected with being a Christ follower, we call it "sanctification." This is a term from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. When we consider the cyclical spiraling movement in life's journey, Robertson McQuilkin would say that we "... move ever so slightly upward toward the Father." My goal is not to discuss a theological approach to the Christian sanctification but to provide a word picture of the journey. For the Christian, there is never a spiraling downward. It is always upward or remaining at the same height for a time period. So the mark of life's journey is a picture of constant movement with the goal of coming closer to God.
If our goal is to become closer to God and to know Him, then the idea of God "as a friend" challenges us. I've never thought through God "as my friend," yet it makes sense. I did a quick Biblical search finding Job and James as two books using the idea of friend throughout the text. Job pleaded to God for his friends and appealed to his friends on behalf of God. In chapter 2, James writes of Abraham being called "God's friend" (James 2:23). In chapter 4, James writes an inverse that I would challenge we are either a friend of the world or a friend of God (James 4:4). So knowing God allows us to be "a friend" of God's.
This idea leads me to consider what I want from a friend. I want someone I can share experiences and commonness. I need a listener and someone who is understanding of my persona. I want someone who loves me for who I am and is loyal and will never give up on me. This allows them to offer their support and a willingness to be truthful at the proper time. I need someone who I can chat with and spend time with. Ultimately I am needing someone who is glad to be called my friend.
I believe God fits all of these descriptions. Not only does He in writing but has proved Himself in my particular life's journey in the past several months. I find that my "friend" continues to grow to be incredibly personal and intimate with me. This period of my life's journey is wanting intimacy and I believe God desire the reciprocal. God pursues me as much as I pursue Him. Actually God pursues me more as this is part of His character.
I have human friends. Some have come and gone as their life's journey changes direction. I can catch many friends by phone. Some stop communicating completely usually over some circumstance that is not being addressed. I do know that God does not abandon us and will always listen. Yes, God will listen especially when we are "dumping" our junk. Some of my human friends did not stay beside me, accepting that I have junk. If they had, the impact on my life's journey could be marked as redemptive in these relationships.
So do I consider God my best friend? By intellectual means, He is definitely receiving all the check marks. In practical terms, He is arriving at me calling Him my "best friend."
Where are you in life's journey? It is sad that a TV show intrigued me to be challenged to consider God my "best friend." I hope this inspires you to consider looking at God from a different practical and personal perspective.
