Become New with John Ortberg 4. God and I; almost friends
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Aug 13, 2021 A reflective look at pursuing friendship with God through memoir moments and scripture. Honest, vulnerable stories probe why intimacy with the divine feels distant. Discussion of listening for God in quiet seasons and the tension between human status and divine presence. Personal anecdotes show how earthly friendships can open the way to trusting God as a friend.
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Lou Smead's Honest Friendship Struggle
- Lou Smead confessed after retirement that he never knew God as a friend the way he knew other friends despite teaching about union with Christ.
- He honestly recounts seven years into retirement still struggling to develop that close friendship with God.
Liking Versus Loving God
- Being God's friend feels hard because friendship requires reciprocity: you need to feel liked and engaged by the other.
- Lou notes it's easier to believe God loves us than to believe God actually likes us and enjoys our company.
Quiet Communion Feels One Sided
- A barrier to friendship is the sense that God "hardly ever says a word" to us, making conversation feel one-sided.
- Ortberg suggests God may guide thoughts quietly and believers in union with Christ may receive promptings they can't always identify.
