Have you ever stumbled across a quote that changed your life? I have. Here’s one of my favorites: “We can be experts at serving God but novices at being His friend” (Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Secret of the Vine).
It’s true. Sadly. 
We can teach Sunday school, sing on the worship team, lead Bible studies, write Christian literature, and maybe even go on short-term mission trips—all in God’s name. And we can do these acts of service for all the right motives. Trouble is, we become so busy doing these acts of service that before long we don’t have time to grow our friendship with the One we’re serving.
As a wife, I could compare that to loving my husband deeply and wanting to express my love for him through service. I’d bake his favorite cookies, cook his favorite meals, do his laundry, wash his car, clean his man-cave (or not), etc. But working so hard would leave me no time to sit down with him and chat about the day over a cup of coffee: “Sorry, Honey. You know I love you, but I’m so busy showing it that I don’t have time for you. See you later, Sweetheart!”
In our earnest to do spiritual activities for Jesus, we neglect the importance of spending time in His presence. Heaven help us remember that…
God wants relationship with us.
He delights in us.
He pursues us with passion.
May we make and maintain worship as our first priority, and may service flow as a natural byproduct of an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus. Let’s be experts, not novices, at being His friend.
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