Friend of God and Greys Anatomy!

One church song I have a long history with is 'I will change your name.' In the song, it says that God will change our name from wounded to friend of God. In our church, Lake Cities Church of Christ, we have been learning about hopeful friendships. Last night, while I was trying to ignore my thoughts on the issue because Grey's Anatomy was on (my fav. show, will Meredith ever get over McDreamy? Will McDreamy and Addison stick it out?), friend of God kept going through my mind. I wondered, what does it mean to be a friend of God, beside the obvious benefit that we are saved through this friendship thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we can have a friendship with God! But, what the heck does that look like? What does this mean? So, I grabbed my Bible, hit record on the dvr, so i could watch Grey's Anatony later, and I looked in the concordence for Friend of God. I found a reference to James 4, so I read it, and it was an awesome scripture. The scripture said, if you are a friend of God, you cannot be a friend of the world. Again, I wondered, what does that mean? I asked myself if I am a friend of this world. Sometimes, I think I am. It is hard to shun worldly views on wealth and beauty. The world's definition of success and God's definition is so different. I wondered how this applied to me. I love getting highlights, shopping online, and getting pedicures. Sometimes, I put these things in front of my love of God. YIKES! I don't think it means I can't indulge in these luxuries (if you can call highlights a luxury when they are covering up my newly graying hairs...But, that's a whole other blog!) I think it just means I need to start placing my friendship with God first. Anyway, then, the scripture in James 4 said that friends of God will inherit a wisdom, and in this wisdom, they will begin to develop these characteristics: pure-heart, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and impartial and sincere. Okay, whenever I hear submissive, it makes me feel a little sick, because this characteristic is not one of the characteristics that has manifested in me yet. But, please note, this scripture is not gender specific. We are all called to be submissive to God and each other, with no note here about gender. Yeah!! Good, because I have issues with gender roles. Again, a whole other blog...One last thought that hit home from James 4. A friend of God shows no favoritism based on wealth. I wondered if I would treat a celebrity (like my favorites, Reese Witherspoon or Gwenny) differently than I would treat an innercity mom. I am afraid I would. Again, I am moved by the spirit of God, that he notices the poor and lowly in spirit more than the wealthy rulers and famous in our country, as well as others. Wealth means nothing to God. I love that the God I worship sees the poor, and drug addicted, and he loves them. He cares for their struggles. He wants me to care, too. What a great scripture about how we can be friends with God, and what is expected of our friendship.

And, just for the record, I did get to watch Grey's Anatomy! What a bummer. All about death. Although it was good, come on cast writers. If I wanted to immerse myself in death, I'd read Phillip Roth's new novel, Everyman, or I'd pick any Shakespeare tragedy and watch the bodies pile up! Note to the writers, more romance, less moms, wives and boyfriends dying! (Just in the last five minutes of the show, I counted 3 dead females, two moms and one wife). Can't that freaking staff save someone for crying out loud. As a mother of two young kiddos, that is the last hospital I'd check into!