Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. – James 4:8a (NRSV)
How to you draw near to God? When was the last time that you tried? Did you discover God drawing near to you? How is your relationship with God? Could it be better? How will you make it better?
Sometime ago someone sent me this.
Listen
When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me that I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Listen! All that I asked was that you listen--not talk or do--just hear me.
Advice is cheep. Thirty-five cents will get you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper.
All I can do is do for myself. I am not helpless--maybe discouraged, but not helpless.
When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.
So, please listen and just hear me. If you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn--and I'll listen to you.
We know that those who listen to us are truly our friends, because they are not trying to offer us quick fixes, but instead are just trying to be with us when there are no quick fixes. God wants to be a friend, someone we can talk to and be heard, someone who isn’t going to interrupt us or offer us cheep advise before we are done with our stories, someone who holds us when we cry to let us know we are not alone. God wants us to get everything out so we felt heard, and it is then that God will talk to us. And if God is our friend then we will sit back and listen, and who knows what glorious things we will hear!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Showing posts with label friend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friend. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Good Advice
The righteous gives good advice to friends, but the way of the wicked leads astray. – Proverbs 12:26 (NRSV)
Do you have friends that give good advice? What about friends that bring you down the wrong path, do you have them too? What kind of friend have you been to others? When have you led someone astray? When have you been good?
A couple of months ago I was driving along the street. For a couple of blocks I had been following the same car. I do that sometimes, just try to follow the same car, let that person lead and I’ll follow. It makes driving easier. If the person in front of me slows down I slow down, if he speeds up I speed up. The person ahead is on the look out for danger, or at least sees the danger first to prepare me for it. Sometimes after following someone for a while I’ve noticed I stop paying attention to things as well as I should. I become more concerned with following than making sure I am looking out for danger or other important things with which to be concerned.
As I followed this particular car, ahead of us a fire truck turned on its lights and stopped. A fireman got out into the street. The car I was following slowed down and then changed lanes as he got closer. He went all the way over and then went around the fire truck and the fireman in the street to keep going on his way. Without even thinking I did the same thing, after all I was following the car in front of me. It wasn’t until I looked in my rearview mirror as the fireman threw up his arms in disgust that I realized what I had done. I got so concerned with being a follower I didn’t even consider where I was being led.
My mother always told me to make sure that I have good friends. It is still good advice. She also always told me to try to be a leader as opposed to a follower. That is still good advice too… well that is if we are following Jesus. Following Jesus is a sure way to keep from being led astray. It is also a great way to ensure that when others follow us they are given good advice, because we are getting the advice from the best.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Do you have friends that give good advice? What about friends that bring you down the wrong path, do you have them too? What kind of friend have you been to others? When have you led someone astray? When have you been good?
A couple of months ago I was driving along the street. For a couple of blocks I had been following the same car. I do that sometimes, just try to follow the same car, let that person lead and I’ll follow. It makes driving easier. If the person in front of me slows down I slow down, if he speeds up I speed up. The person ahead is on the look out for danger, or at least sees the danger first to prepare me for it. Sometimes after following someone for a while I’ve noticed I stop paying attention to things as well as I should. I become more concerned with following than making sure I am looking out for danger or other important things with which to be concerned.
As I followed this particular car, ahead of us a fire truck turned on its lights and stopped. A fireman got out into the street. The car I was following slowed down and then changed lanes as he got closer. He went all the way over and then went around the fire truck and the fireman in the street to keep going on his way. Without even thinking I did the same thing, after all I was following the car in front of me. It wasn’t until I looked in my rearview mirror as the fireman threw up his arms in disgust that I realized what I had done. I got so concerned with being a follower I didn’t even consider where I was being led.
My mother always told me to make sure that I have good friends. It is still good advice. She also always told me to try to be a leader as opposed to a follower. That is still good advice too… well that is if we are following Jesus. Following Jesus is a sure way to keep from being led astray. It is also a great way to ensure that when others follow us they are given good advice, because we are getting the advice from the best.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
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