Experts at Serving God or Being His Friend?

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. 

Too busy serving Him

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 a relationship with us

He delights in us.

He pursues us with passion.

He wants us to delight in Him, too. He wants us to get to know Him better so we can trust Him more. He wants us to learn to identify His voice when He speaks to us. He wants us to rest in His care, to cease striving, and live life unafraid.

Let’s make friendship with God our first priority. Take time to read His Word and talk with Him every day. Make space for Him to speak and tune our ear to listen.

Let’s make knowing God our first pursuit. Service will then flow as a natural byproduct of our friendship with Him. Let’s be experts, not novices, at being His friend.