UH…RESPECT ME THOUGH?

What’s Inside: Finding yourself in a power struggle with God? Would you like a little friendship advice on how to get ahead? Well, enjoy this read.

I knew a small business owner many years ago who, like many others, took a chance on hiring his friends into his organization. I always thought it was so kind and generous of him to be willing to take people under his wing and give them a chance. I have met others in leadership positions who choose to be approachable and attainable with respects to the people they lead. I am moved by the leaders’ efforts but am equally disappointed by the response of the led. It amazes me every time the persons on the receiving end of kindness choose to take advantage of their status and relationship with their superior.  Rather than seeing an opportunity to return the kindness by doing their best work, many see an opportunity to elevate themself. They adopt the attitude of, “I don’t have to…(fill in the blank) because my friend is the boss.” They seem to forget that once you have been given a responsibility, excellence is executing that task regardless of your relationship with the person in charge. What the person in authority says…goes (unless of course it is illegal or dangerous in any way, then you just quit). A close relationship with a superior should inspire one to perform even better, not slack off. If you are working in a friend’s organization and you are truly for that person, you should want him or her to succeed. The relationship ought to inspire you to represent that business in the best light. Your friend’s success is your success (in this instance) because you love your friend. Unfortunately, that is not the reality in many cases.

I see this same parallel with students in school and even my four-year-old daughter. It is for this very reason parents are advised not to be “friends” with their kids. Maintain that power distance. “You give them an inch they’ll swim all over you” (Sebastian from Disney’s the Little Mermaid). People choose to take kindness for weakness and take advantage of the giver.

It is easy to adopt that same attitude in our relationship with God.  We get so comfortable in our faith and because Jesus is our homeboy, we can forget that His is…I don’t know…Creator of the universe! If we want to keep our relationship with God intact through thick, thin and especially hard times, it is probably best not to take advantage of Him. Not for His sake but for our own. So my first piece of advice for this week is this:

Remember who He is

Let me help you…

He is God. The God who made the world and everything in it; the Lord of heaven and earth who does not live in temples built by human hands, who is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything; the One who Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else; the One who marked our appointed times in history and the boundaries of our lands; The One in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:22-28). He laid the earth’s foundation, marked off its dimensions and stretched a measuring line across it, set its footings and laid its cornerstone. He shut up the sea behind doors and said, “This far you may come and no farther”. He gives orders to the morning and shows the dawn its place (Job 38:3-12). He has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens. He has held the dust of the earth in a basket and weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance (Isaiah 40:12). He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit (Psalm 147:4-5).

Because this God has made Himself so attainable and familiar to us, our human nature is tempted to take advantage of His love, kindness and mercy. Don’t. Remember He is the boss.

Get rid of the entitlement mentality

I (and many others) love the idea of being the child of The Lord of the Universe. We imagine ourselves in the same light as the kids of earthly royalty and persons in power. We see ourselves in inflated positions, “My Daddy can get me whatever I want.” (My Daddy can beat up your daddy.) We learn a little something about our status with the Almighty God and all of a sudden we don’t know how to act. But then it all come crumbling down when we realize that being Daddy’s little princess or prince doesn’t work quite the same as it does for the other guys. It is better, but not as expected.

I encourage you to, instead, take on an attitude of gratefulness and humility. It is an honor to be a child of The King. He chose us. It is a privilege that we did not earn, nor do we deserve. We are saved by grace. He owes us nothing. It is our humble blessing to live this life gracefully and completely open to Him.

Don’t play the blame game

This is a tough one. It is hard not to unleash on the One who has all power to do anything but doesn’t. Often times, when my expectations are not met, I immediately turn the blame on God – “You did this to me!” (And clearly that is not always the case. See Proverbs 19:3). But, remember that God’s intentions are not to harm us (see my previous post “FRIEND OF…GOD? REALLY?” God neither harms us by accident nor on purpose. Instead we “TRUST GOD” and keep open those lines of communication.

Respect His boundaries

Not always do persons in power execute said power without some sort of restraint. Just because you have a friend in power you don’t expect him or her to move heaven and earth on your behalf (at least I hope not). There are protocols, checks and balances and other moving parts to consider. Only in corrupt cases will you see a leader who exerts his or her power for selfish gain. Such leaders will forgo all other critical elements.

I would be naïve to think that leaders are never asked to compromise themselves for the personal gain of a friend. But in typical cases, friends do not expect friends to prevent life or consequences from happening. They share their struggles, yes, and expect support through it. And, who knows? Sometimes miracles do happen.

How powerful of a statement do we make when we choose to accept God’s no? We tell Him that we really do trust Him and that our relationship goes beyond what He has done for us lately.  I don’t believe that God is caught up in the petty things of this world. And when we allow Him to “steer our ship” come what may, we show Him that we value our relationship with Him.  We make a statement that says, “so long as we are with Him we are not missing out on anything.” We can be at peace.

God chose to take a chance on us. He made a brave and bold statement when He sent Jesus to die four our sin. He chooses to be close to us, to close the gap and end the separation between Him and us. He wants to have a relationship with us – given our human nature that is a generous gesture from the all-powerful God. It may not always feel like it, but God knows what He is doing – in both the good and the bad. His thoughts are not our thoughts; His ways are higher than ours. So, though we may not be able to see and understand the things that happen in this life, we are safe surrendering to His authority.

The thought of Him and His power may be scary but He is kind and loves us. He understands His own strength and our fragility and handles us accordingly. He is the King, but He is still Daddy. So we can honor and respect Him yet still confide in Him and enjoy the relationship without taking advantage. Find a way to maintain the balance.

I hope you enjoyed this read. There is more relationship advice to come, so please join me again. Do subscribe for post updates and special offers to our Spoiled By God Store.

Need to catch up? Click here for previous posts in this segment: “FRIEND OF…GOD? REALLY?” and “YOU MIGHT SEE HIM IS THE CHURCH BUT, SHAWTY, YOU DON’T KNOW GOD.” Leave your thoughts and comments below; I’d love to hear from you.

Remember, we are so…Spoiled By God!
www.SpoiledByGod.com