4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? -James 4:4-5
The Bible uses many images to describe God: he is our father, he is our groom, he is our helper. I am most uncomfortable with the image of God as our jilted and jealous lover. This passage in James suggests that God jealously longs for us and is afraid of losing our affection to the things of this world. It’s uncomfortable to think that God longs for me and wants to be a in a relationship with me, so much so that he’s worried I’ll turn to something else instead of him. I think I struggle with this image of God because I think of him as some lovelorn teenager, pining over his crush that won’t even look at him.
That’s an inaccurate image of God. God isn’t like Bella, swooning and worrying about whether or not Edward is going to be in class today. God’s jealousy and passion for us goes deeper than some schoolboy crush. When I had a crush on a girl and felt a tinge of jealousy, that jealousy was completely unfounded because there was no expectation that my affection should be returned. God has created everyone, though, so his jealousy is completely founded; God created us and it is only right for him to assume that we should turn our affection toward him.
When I think of a jilted and jealous lover, I think of some sort of stalker creeping around, making mix tapes and sending notes with letters cut out of a magazine. That image is true for some amount of the population but it doesn’t apply to God. God isn’t a creeper; he’s just a creator that grieves when he sees his creation walking away. God is jealous for us because he created us and he wants to be in a relationship with us, which is why he is so willing to pursue us. God’s jealousy is completely justifiable and I’m thankful for it because without that jealousy, without that desire to pursue humanity, we may never have been reconciled to him through Jesus Christ.
How do you feel about God’s jealousy for you?
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If I'm honest I've kinda liked it at times that there was jealousy involved in my relationships. It made me feel special that someone was so enamored with me to the point of being jealous that someone else might like me as much or even more.
ReplyDeleteIt's seemed awkward to put God in that position but I feel good that God loves me so much that He doesn't just leave me where I am but He pursues me and is intent in drawing me unto Himself. That kind of love leaves me feeling safe in trusting Him as I know He has my best interest at heart and wants the best for me.
Dave Palmer
Thinking about what God feels when I'm not with him (jealousy) makes me wonder what he feels when we are together. :)
ReplyDeleteSome of the female Christian mystics talked about God being their husband or lover. Does that make you even more uncomfortable? I used to think it was a little creeper. But I really like it now. It helps me understand the power and reality of what is happening in my relationship with God.
PS, were you around way back when we had a guest speaker at CBC give an analogy of the christian life as a sexual encounter with God? It was the most provocative sermon I've ever heard, and as far as I could tell it was a good analogy too.
I am stalking you.
ReplyDeleteKristen,
ReplyDeleteI was at a retreat once and the worship leader started down some path, talking about God being our lover. It wasn't a well thought out path and it just ended up being a little creepy and a lot ridiculous. I think imagining God as our lover is a little difficult because that has a lot of other connotations involving sex and sexual attraction. I think I'm more comfortable with a spouse analogy, it gets at the level of intimacy and commitment but doesn't involve the physical side of things.
"I think I'm more comfortable with a spouse analogy, it gets at the level of intimacy and commitment but doesn't involve the physical side of things."
ReplyDeleteI like the way that is laid out.
God's jealously to me translates into love. That it is an expression of how much he loves, that it would make him the perfect amount of jealous to not have us. When I remember this it makes me feel bad when I am not doing my best for him or his kingdom.
I could say I feel as if I've been caught cheating on God with the world in these situations...
...but that would be a private matter.
(Woods joke....)
-Kyle
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteI think the analogy of us cheating on God is tremendously helpful. It helps me to truly gauge the seriousness of sin. It's too easy to write some sin off as "not that bad." "No, it's cool God, I wasn't really cheating; we just kissed a little bit, that's not that bad." I would never try to pull that with Alycia, but we pull that with God all the time.