"Been There, Done That"

“Familiarity breeds contempt” we are told. There is some truth in that. When we get close to a person we have admired we see all of their personality  and character.  It’s one of the hazards of young love.  He looks like Prince Charming until the third date when she discovers just how irritating his terrible manners can be. She is his dream girl until he realizes that she turns every situation into a major drama. In a past era, many of our relationships with ‘professionals’ were formal, a distance maintained that allowed them to appear almost god-like.  For example, our physicians, in their starched white coats, addressed only as Dr. Jones, were unquestioned in their judgment.  A younger generation rejected that distance and wants their family doctor to be on a first-name basis, but being that close steals much of the mystique of the all-knowing doctor.  There is an upside to familiarity, too.  It creates intimacy, takes away the need to pretend, and allows us to accept others and love them deeply.

Familiarity can have a destructive result in our faith. The people of ancient Nazareth could not see past their preconceptions about Jesus and thus did not enjoy the blessings that others found in Him.  "Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." (Matthew 13:54-58, NIV)  They saw only what they wanted to see – the hometown kid.

There is a very real danger in becoming so ‘churched,’ assuming we know who Jesus is and how He works, that we lose our ability to see Who HE really is and the faith to allow Him to do what He wants to do our lives. In recent weeks I have had a couple of conversations with Christians whose faith is old, but stale. They are so familiar with ‘Jesus,’ that they no longer are able to trust Him fully.  Their attitude towards prayer, worship, and godly things is one that is weary, that says ‘been there, done that.’

But, I also know many Christians who have walked with Jesus for decades and their familiarity with Him supports a wonderfully deep and amazingly intense faith.

So what makes the difference?  We must mature in faith.

Just after coming to Christ, finding forgiveness, discovering a new set of friends who share our faith – we are full of excitement. We just love Jesus! And, that is good.  But, soon we come up against some situation where we pray and He does not answer us as we desire. Disappointment overtakes us.  “Why, Lord?” we wonder.  In that moment, we have a choice to grow in faith.  And our love for Jesus takes on some routine, just like any relationship.  I deeply love my wife of 39 years but remember those first weeks after I met her in June, 1974 when I just thrilled to her every word.  After raising our children, working together, building a life we really know each other.  We have not allowed our familiarity to make love go stale.  In the last few months as we experienced illness, we have found a new dimension to our love we could not have even imagined existed when we were dating all those years ago.

Have you become so familiar with Jesus (you might want to substitute ‘become so religious’) that you are no longer capable of loving Him?  Is your faith stale, your prayer routine, your worship empty of passion, your heart cold?  Jesus is still there and loves you intensely.  You can re-discover Him, too.  It won’t likely be the same as it was when you first came to know Him!  Do not try to make that happen.  Instead, grow and love Him as He is and you are right now.  Pray simple prayers.  Abandon the ‘whys’ and look instead for what He desires of you where you are.

Ask Him to let you see Him with fresh perspective.  Choose to be child-like as you come to Him.  In our word from the Word, Jesus says,  “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom." (Matthew 18:3-4, The Message)

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10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning.

It's time to sing Your song again!

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me,

Let me be singing when the evening comes.

You're rich in love and You're slow to anger,

Your name is great and Your heart is kind.

For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing,

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

O my soul!

Worship His holy name.

Sing like never before,

O my soul,

I'll worship Your holy name!

And on that day when my strength is failing,

The end draws near and my time has come;

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending,

Ten thousand years and then forevermore.

Worship Your holy name,

Lord, I'll worship Your holy name!

Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

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