“That Guy”

The other day, I read something that a cousin of mine wrote about my Uncle Norman.  He quoted him as saying, “That’s between you and God.”

I thought about that for a while.

Actually, I am still thinking about it.

One of the things I have had a hard time getting through my layers of thick bone that make up most of my head and into my often alarmingly small amount of brain tissue is that ultimately, a man or woman’s relationship with God is between him or her and God.

That may sound simple but as it usually works out, I take simple and complicate it.

I have a problem with wanting to define what makes a relationship with God.  Even when my relationship was the most unhealthy, I still found ways to insert my standards are ideals into the relationship of others.

Paul warned Timothy about people like me.

1 Timothy 6:4 Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.

It is somewhat disconcerting to read God’s Word and see myself described in such a bad light.

But there is good news.  I don’t have to be “that guy”.

See, I also learned that my uncle didn’t just use that line acknowledging what was between a person and God as an excuse to refuse to invest in that person.  He prayed.  He prayed faithfully.  He prayed repetitively.  He refused to stop caring and he refused to stand back and succumb to hopelessness.

He stopped taking action that people feel the need to take and, instead, took action that God would have him take.  A lot of things can change if we just pray and then love unconditionally.

But far too often I am “that guy”.  I walk in between someone else and God and forget that I am not the way, I am in the way.  No man goes to the Father through me.

So, my goal for today and the day’s ahead, is to step out of the way and stop stirring the pot of jealousy, division, slander and evil suspicions.  I need to take more time and pray for those I am tempted to judge or criticize and love them unconditionally.