The number one problem in most relationships is communication, and there’s a breakdown between us and God. But the problem isn’t God. It’s us. If anything, God has over-communicated—he speaks to us through his Word, his Church, and his Spirit. But we don’t read his Word enough to know what he says or thinks or feels. And we tend to disregard his Church. And it’s hard to listen to the still small voice of his Spirit over the cacophony of cultural distraction.
I understand why this is hard. After all, sometimes prayer feels like conversation with an invalid. It’s like we got engaged to someone we think is perfect, but something happens and they slip into a coma. They’re in the hospital, and we love them, so we visit. We wipe their chin and speak tenderly as they sip their milk. Maybe they look at us when we squeeze their hand. We leave. We feel okay. But it’s tough to want to come back.
We feel like we’re the ones doing everything. God is a disappointment.
But we’re not playing fair, are we? We haven’t exercised that which our counselor recommends. We haven’t been to physical therapy with our invalid. We’ve just looked at God—either across the room or on the couch—and thought: he should be better.
We need to stop trying to fix God and begin to listen to what God is saying.