What Kind of Relationship Do You Have With Jesus?

     We have never met Brittne’s boyfriend, Parker. He is serving the Lord in Haiti. He has been away from his parents now for a year and he has another year to go. They started a short-term family tradition while he is away for the two years he is away. They made a small cardboard man who they refer to as ‘flat Parker’. ‘Flat Parker’ goes to football games with them, family dinners, and hunting trips, as their way to include their son. It is as if he is with them all the time; but I am sure that their hearts know he really isn’t!
      Brittne met his parents last week and she will see them again this week. They gave her ‘flat Parker’ to bring home if she would like to take some pictures with him. We have been having so much fun posing for the “Parker Meets the Thompson’s” album. We made him work to earn our daughter. We are a biblical family and if Jacob could work for Rachel, then we feel our daughter is worth a little work! Haha He has had to do the laundry, iron, paint, cook, serve, do dishes, mow, water, shine Dwayne's shoes and exercise for Dwayne! I think I want to keep ‘flat Parker’ around!
     It is so easy and fun to include 'flat Parker' in our lives. We have to remind ourselves that it really isn’t him. There is no communication, no getting to know each other, no growing trust or love. It is just a symbol of Parker. It makes me think of how many Christians live with a ‘flat Jesus’. They treat Him as a cardboard figure. It is just a symbol they put in the pictures of life, but they do not really know Jesus personally. They do not communicate with Him, get to know His ways, or grow in their relationship of trust and love. Yet, they would tell you that they love Jesus! They never get pass a one dimensional relationship with Him!
     Today, I want to you analyze yourself. Do you just have a ‘flat Jesus’ as a symbol of trying to be religious? Is your relationship with Him one dimensional? Or do you have a two-way relationship with the real, alive, life changing Jesus Christ?

Knowing the correct password –saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance – isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now – at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? “You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

Matthew 7:22-23