My Friend Part 2...by Joe Marinich

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My Friend Part 2...by Joe Marinich

Posted by Dominic Gross on 11:45 AM // 21 comments

To bring us back to Matthew 18:2-3, I am pretty sure the previous situation explains what that verse really means. I was the one who was confused, sad, and broken hearted. I was the one putting God into a box of my rationale and understanding. I was the one confused on prayer and the way things work. It was my developed complicated adult mind that missed the Kingdom of God in this situation because I was making it into something it wasn't.

My child simply believes God, she thinks He is nice, helpful, loving, and she still thinks He answers prayer. I learned a lot from my child that day, and after my conversation with her this verse popped into my head. I understood what being childlike was like, and even though it was simple it was also powerful. People always associate children as being weak, and that is an unfair assessment. We compensate our weakness with manipulation, power, and false confidence, children are simply strong. They are strong in their minds, hearts, and will...I mean anyone that is a parent knows the strength of a child's will.

There is all kinds of hurting going on right now within the walls of Gods Kingdom. There are real hurtful situations happening to people I know personally. Many of my friends have lost their ministry job, some have been hurt by betrayals, and others are burnt out and tired. Maybe, just maybe we could all use a lesson in childlikeness. I mean how awesome would it be if us adults stopped questioning and doubting God and instead put that sort of effort into prayer?

Lets never question Gods position in the world, lets question our own. Lets not question Gods love for us, lets question our own love. Lets not question why God doesn't work in peoples lives, lets question why we wont help people with their lives. Lets not question whether or not God answers prayer, lets question our own resolve to pray. Its my opinion that this is the deep stuff of Matthew 18, yet the reason we don't live like this is still reduced down to a shallow canned retort. You know we would say something like this “we are the problem not God.” I mean how does that help anything? I know Gods is ok and secure and I know that I am messed up. I especially don't need somebody else telling me I am messed up.

Finally lets stop looking at children as annoyances, or being too simple minded to understand real life situations. I have learned a lot about God and relationships simply by watching my children. Life is complicated, messy, beautiful, and awful all at once, but it can be something profound when viewed with eyes of a child. That my friends is how we embrace Gods Kingdom. Its something that can only be understood with a childlike mind, faith, and heart.

Stop making it hard, and do a little more feeling and trusting. Shut down the mind, believe, and pray a little more. We need to try and use our hearts a little more and our minds a little less. After all this is how we are made, we were made to have a relationship with God, yet our minds make it so much more complicated that what it ever should have become.

The fact that my friend Kevin had died, is difficult and hard to understand. The cool thing is that praying for his families comfort has brought me comfort. Like so many other things its in the serving and the giving that we ourselves find answers and peace. I want to challenge everyone to take time to connect with God in prayer and worship. Stop making it difficult and just do it. Let me close by quoting the great philosopher Yoda. When it comes to embracing Gods Kingdom and thinking like a child, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

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