Wake up call

How would you feel if it seemed someone was friends with you for money? Here in Africa, friendships and money are very related, and that is often hard for us Westerners, trying to fit into the culture. Since teaching at the Bible school, I have had many very genuinely needy friends who often ask for money, but there is one person in particular who seems to always need help. I am not always sure of my responsibility in friendships here, where I expect to be asked for money, but not sure how often is 'normal', and am not always sure when to draw the line. I doubt any of my genuine friends mean to ask too much, but this one friend seems to ask me for money every time he sees me, or texts me (about once or twice a month). After a while of this being the case, I have got a bit frustrated; it makes me feel like an ATM! He said he was coming to see me on Friday, and I knew there was a financial motive for his coming, so I was naturally rather reluctant, and dreaded the moment when I would have to deal with it. "I would never behave like that to someone", I thought, "It just isn't fair!"

I tell you this, not to rant about this guy, but to help you stand in my shoes as I share this revelation with you: the truth is, I do treat someone like that. Someone who deserves so much more. Someone who, unlike me, never gets tired of meeting with such a demanding person, despite my endless requests while we are spending time together. This weekend, I was woken up to that truth, to the parallel between this man's requests of me, and my prayer life. What a slap in the face to realise that when I come before the Lord, and dump my wants/needs (or mostly other people's) at his feet, without really spending time with Him, I am treating Him just as I so dislike being treated. What a reminder, that first and foremost we should be in relationship with Him. What a priviledge it is that we have that opportunity, and what rudeness I have shown in coming only with demands! I hope that you can say your prayer life is better than mine was, but if not, I hope this little illustration has woken you up just as it did me. We have such an opportunity to know our Lord, why are we wasting it?