Unshackled Echo ~ June 23, 2018 ~ Getting Close

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 10, 2015.

As a child I had some friends whose attitudes my mother didn't exactly approve. They seemed a little too smart alecky, rebellious and talked back too much. I think perhaps my mother disapproved of their parents more than the children themselves, but she didn't like the way that they acted and felt determined that her son would not act in such a manner. She never said that these friends were a bad influence on me, but I do remember multiple times where she would comment that I'd been hanging out with them too much as evidenced by the fact that I began talking and acting like them. Her observation usually proceeded an adjustment of my attitude.

Even today I have a friend that if I spend a lot of time around, my wife immediately can tell. "How much time have you been spending with him?," she'll ask me. "Why?," I ask. Her response is most often along the lines that I am starting to sound like him.

The point is that when I spend a lot of time with a particular person I begin to act a little like them, to like some of the things that they like that may not quite be within the normal parameters of my likes, and even my gestures and expressions can be effected. I guess it probably goes both ways with others seeing me in the friends that I spend a lot of time with.

The point of the Spiritual life we live is relationship with Jesus. We constantly strive to improve our conscious contact with God. How can we measure that closeness? Attitude and behavior. We can talk a good talk, but what do others see? If we're spending a lot of time with God, if He has become our friend and not just our bail bondsman, others should see Him in our attitudes and actions. It's nothing we have to try to do or force. It's a natural by-product of closeness and time. Let's get so close to Jesus that those around us see Him in us more and more.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love and friendship. You have promised to be closer than a brother if we will draw close to You. Help me to get so close to You that  others see You as much, if not more, than they see me in all I do. Amen.

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