Hard Company

 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24

The above Scripture is one that I have always loved. I love the reality that Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. A friend who will not leave us or forsake us. A friend and companion that goes before us, comes behind us, and walks beside us. A friend who surrounds us, protects us, and provides for us. A friend like no earthly friend could ever be. Yet I had a thought today. A thought I have rarely had or wanted to entertain. I was reminded by the Spirit that in the midst of all the truth I list here is one other; while Jesus has been such a friend and companion, and the best "company" I could ever hope to have, what hard company I must be for Him sometimes. Many times. And so have you.

I know that I weary Him at times. My stubborn pride, my faulty attitudes, my self-righteousness, my sense of entitlement. There are people whose company we are not anxious for. Their presence can grate on our nerves and spirit. We may love and wish the best for them, but we'd like to do so from a distance. This is human. We don't want to see any ill come to them, and we do want the best for them. But they're "hard company" for us. We know that, but somehow, we never seem to think we might be the same for Him.

I've been reading John Bevere's book, "The Awe Of God," and he really speaks to how we have lost the awareness of living with a sense of fear and trembling before Him, and with that loss, the dying off of holy reverence for Him and a holy fear of Him. I think it's caused us to know that He is always with us, but we are not much concerned with how we "affect" Him and whether the things we say, do, and think please Him or not. We think little about what aggravating and wearying fellow travelers with Christ that we so often are. I was confronted with that reality this morning. I had to wonder how He puts up with me sometimes. How He puts up with you. How He puts up with any of us.

We're imperfect people living in a fallen world. The Father knows this. Christ knows this. He realizes that perfect living is not possible this side of eternity, but a godly and pleasing life before Him is. I think that a life lived with its priority being our pleasing of Him has greatly diminished in importance in the church. We're much more interested in Him pleasing us than it being the other way around. We sometimes more resemble the complaining, bickering, drag them along Israelites on the way to the Promised Land. We can be very hard company for Him and I think we need to be confronted on that.

May it be that living a life that pleases Him does become central to our walk. May we once again or perhaps at last walk in a way that pleases and blesses Him. A walk rooted and motivated by a holy fear of the Lord. May we be a joy for Him to be with and not a trial. May we live in a such a way that He rejoices to call us "friend." May we start to do so right now.

Blessings,
Pastor O