What's The Prime Directive?

In Star Trek, Kirk and Spock are always debating the values of different plans to defeat the aliens at hand.  But they always have to consider the Prime Directive.  Why?  Because That's the Most Important Thing.
 

Following God.  Isn’t that the Prime Directive for us earthlings?  I don’t think so, but it’s real close.
 

When God says “Follow Me,” I don’t know about you but I used to think it was like he was this ranger stud with a 150 pound pack and bulging calf muscles, and we were going on a two week hike up the side of a mountain. And off we’d go and after 50 yards, I’m sucking air and in two minutes I need to stop and He was gone, and How On Earth was I ever going to catch up to Him.  I quit.  Game over.  I Lose.  Again. Why do I even try?

Thanks to a series of excellent messages on the grace of God by a guy named Judah Smith, who’s the pastor of City Church, in Kirkland, WA (You can Google him and go to Media.  Maybe start with one from 2011 entitled “Jesus Is Turning Around”), I’m seeing this differently and I’m feeling that there might be a breakthrough coming. 

First it's important and pretty amazing to me to understand that God likes having us around.  He made us, He came to us, He's asking us to come into a relationship with Him.  He's not one to waste His time.

So, it's extraordinarily clear.  God is not looking to get rid of us.  Could He check out of the blue marble called "Earth?"  In a heartbeat.  But it’s pretty clear to me that He is looking for one thing from us.  Only one. 

Money?  No.  God could print all the money he needed.  He could turn a billion solar systems into diamonds and gold.  Slavery?  No.  First, if He wanted slaves, he could have made a heck of a better breed than us.  And what would he need slaves for?  In a blink of an eye he could accomplish more than 10 billion slaves could do in 10 billion years.

In thinking this through for a couple of years I’m pretty sure the one thing that God desires from us is:  Relationship.  That’s it.  To the point where I don’t think He cares about our church attendance, prayer habits, Bible-reading habits, tithing, good deeds Or Anything Else.  Which is good.  Because I stink at these.

All those things are “fruits” of a good relationship with God.  What I’m saying is this:  If you are relating to God and don’t want to go to church…then, don’t go to church.  If you are relating to God and don’t want to pray, then don’t pray.  If you’re relating to God and don’t want to read the Bible, then don’t read the Bible.

Instead, keep in a good, personal, deep loving relationship with God…and then do whatever you want.  I think you’ll find that as you and God hang out with each other, then you will be inspired to do some or all of these things, not out of some disdainful  duty, but out of a heart of joy and thankfulness.  Until it’s a “want to,” don’t do it.

There’s a word here.  Freedom.  He didn’t come to enslave us in a bunch of rules.  And some churches unwittingly try to put us right back into a rules-oriented relationship with God.  And that’s crap.  I’m convinced God came to Set Us Free from All Rules and wants us to be free to choose Him or not.  And after we choose Him, I cannot believe for a moment He’s ready to spring a rules-based relationship on us, after He sent Jesus to remove us from just that.

Jesus SUFFERED for us.  He S.U.F.F.E.R.E.D for us. because he wanted to Set Us Free From Every Rule, Every Day.

What good parent would ever want their children to relate to them through rules and duty?  How shallow and unfulfilling is that?  Do you think God would ever want us to relate to Him in that way?  Heavens no!   If you’re a dad or mom and come home to your kids, do you think you’d like it if your kids came to you because they Want To…or because they Had To?

I’m of the mindset that the One Thing That We Should Do…The  Only Thing we need to do to be right with God is to have a relationship with him through the work done by His son Jesus on the cross.  You want a Prime Directive?  I think that’s it.

You want to know how to do this wrong?  Look at me.  For decades, I’ve been faking it.  Putting on this act like I’m praying a lot more than I am or reading the Bible a lot more than I am or being a lot more spiritual than I am to look good to people.  Instead of relating to God, I’m using God to make myself look superior to people.

How’s that working out?  The people I fool think I’m superior and don’t want to get close to me because I’ve made myself untouchable.  The people who see through the act don’t want to relate because I’m being a jackass and God is not able to get through to me in my pride.  You want a lonely life?  Just follow in these footsteps and see how lonely you can be.

And I can’t get out of this mode.  It’s a trap that’s not helping me nor anybody in my world.  I want out.  I’m a spiritual loser who finally Wants To Follow  God.

And that’s where maybe Mr. Dim Bulb (that’s me) finally might see the light?  I’ll lay out my thoughts on how I think it’s supposed to work and I guess we'll find out together whether it does or doesn’t.