“I know who God is, but I don’t act like it!” said a friend last night at Signpost Inn Evening while we were reading a bit of Screwtape Letters.

Ah, what a burden that implies!

“If I put the effort in, I could be the way I’m supposed to be, and God might become pleased with me. But I don’t.” Feeling acceptable as a follower of Jesus always feels JUST out of reach.

When I feel condemned and tied up in knots, it’s time to return to basics. If I want to know who God is and how I “should act” as his follower, I gently shift my gaze back to Jesus’ face. I’m picturing him sitting with a crowd of earnest friends. He says things that throw their religion on its head! They had been raised believing that God would only love them if they behaved well, if they could show off how well they knew the Torah, if they had followers.

But Jesus blows their minds by revealing the real heart of God. He reveals himself as the God who sits with them. He hears their questions and teaches them what it means to “know God and act like it.” They ask him how to pray, how to “act.” He answers by reminding them that our primary relationship with God is not criminal / judge, athlete / trainer, student / teacher, or slave / master. It is loved child / tender father!

Here’s how to “act” if God were a better father than you can possibly imagine (which he is!) : let him gather you up, hear your requests, provide for you, comfort you, be a shelter for you. What does an “acceptable follower of Jesus” look like? A beloved child.

I’ll be learning about who God is for the rest of my life and into eternity, but at his heart he will always be my dear father, holding me, his dear child. He is already pleased with me. He already accepts me. “Acting like it” is a deep sigh and leaning back on his love.