Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
A new “Adult Sabbath School Study Guide” lesson quarterly for our third quarter of 2020 titled “Making Friends for God”. I love this title, don’t you? All of us are twice God’s children. By birth and by redemption. But do we want to be his children? Do we want to have an intimate relationship with our Father? Do we want to be His understanding friend? Is the high privilege reciprocated?
For me, this is the issue. How can I make friends for God if I’m not His understanding friend myself, first? It’s not possible. And to make friends with God I need to understand God. Not just do what He says because I am told. Not just know the proper theology or the proper witnessing techniques. I need to know Him, understand Him… and like Him and His selfless nature. To strive and long to emulate Him in all things. To love Him and His selfless ways. To be His true friend myself. True friends protect the Friend’s reputation. Tell the truth about the Friend. Interpret the Friend’s motives and actions in the light of who He really is and who you know Him to be. Honor the friend. And the best way to honor Him is to imitate Him. As Paul councils us, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Yes, imitate Christ. Love as He loves. Be true as He is true. The world is in want for those through whom Christ can pour-out His love to others. This is not works. This is aspiration. This is commitment. You cannot make friends for God unless you are His friend first.
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Why Witness”. I find this to be a rather interesting question. Of course this question begs the underlying question, what is it to “witness”? As far as I know, the only true witness is your life. The way you live. Not merely what you say, but who you are. This is the true witness. So if this is true… if I love God… if I like God… then won’t my life be an unconscious “witness” to His life, His presence, His power and His glory? And then the need for this quarter’s lesson becomes somewhat debatable. If I am God’s friend, the fruit of that friendship will be “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).This fruit is the true witness. The true love that the world lacks… and will lead others to seek the God who so leads us and has changed us from lovers of the world, to lovers of the “Living Word”. As shown and lived-out in our lives. What we say has little value… if our lives say something else.
But this does not belie the value of this quarter’s study, though. So many of us can be introverted. We can be greatly affected by our own upbringing. Many may believe that reaching-out and actively loving, when our past attempts at love have just hurt us, is beyond us... even dangerous. So even if we love our God, showing that love to our fellow-man, to others who can be callous or even cruel, can be frightening and intimidating. The lesson this quarter will inspire us, lead us, encourage us to witness. In fact, this first lesson gives us all kinds of reasons to witness… including love.
May God bless us as we study. And lead us to be His true witnesses by our Spirit-filled lives of love.
With brotherly love,
Jim