“Do you like me?”
“Mommy, do you like me?” my 4 year old asks me as I wash the dishes.
“Of course, Elijah, I love you!” I respond.
“But do you like me?” he asks with his big brown eyes peering into mine.
A question like that begs for reflection as I try to figure out why he would question whether I like him or not. Surely he knows I love him!
Then as I thought about it I realized what he is really asking.
He knows I love him. He has no doubt about that but deep inside he just wants to hear that I like him too. How can you help but love someone you like? So in his mind if you like someone it’s automatic that you love them too.
You have to realize a little bit about this sweet boy of mine. He’s a friend to everyone. He doesn’t go anywhere without having made a new best friend. He has always been that way.
One year at a large meeting of churches there was a time for Missionaries and their families to stand up in front of the crowd. They invited anyone that wanted to go up there and pray with the Missionaries during a song to do so. Elijah in all of his young excitement burst up there to find a new best friend to pray with.
Yet the question still lingers, “Do you like me?”
We all want to be liked. Don’t we?
That’s why we are afraid to make mistakes. We want people to like us and be our friend and the friends we already have we don’t want to lose.
Elijah’s question reminds me of the question Jesus asked Peter.
Peter was going through a rough time in his life. He had chopped a soldier’s ear off in order to defend Jesus from a whole army. Jesus told him to stop and healed the man’s ear. Then Jesus went with the soldiers without a fight. While outside waiting for Jesus’ trial, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. Then he ran away as Jesus was killed.
Jesus rose from the dead and revealed himself to the apostles.
Peter must have still harbored doubts as to his purpose on earth. He was at a point of wanting to give up on his ministry. What good was he after he had denied Jesus? What was he supposed to do now? Finally he throws his hands up in the air and announces to the others, “I’m going fishing!” And his friends followed him.
Then Jesus shows up. The apostles are in their boat and Jesus shouts to them from the shore. Peter jumps overboard and swims to the shore. Then this conversation took place.
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?’
He saith unto him, ‘Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.’
He saith unto him, ‘Feed my lambs.’
He saith to him again the second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?’
He saith unto him, ‘Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.’
He saith unto him, ‘Feed my sheep.’
He saith unto him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?’
Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, ‘Lovest thou me?’
And he said unto him, ‘Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.’
Jesus saith unto him, ‘Feed my sheep.’ “ – John 21:15-17 KJV
Peter was sad when Jesus asked him this 3 times. Peter knew when he returned to fishing he was giving up on the ministry that Jesus called him to and he was influencing those around him. The other apostles that returned to fishing were following Peter not Jesus.
So Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me? Do you even like me?”
Things changed for Peter that day. He rededicated his life to following the Master.
Do you love Jesus? Do you like Him?
Don’t just tell Jesus you love Him. Show Him by following Him everyday. It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do for Him yesterday.
Today is a new day. Start now!
If you want to know how or where to start feel free to contact me. I would love to show you from the Bible how to have a closer walk with the Master.
Do you already have a close relationship with God? How about your family? Would you like your whole family to draw closer to God and each other?
I’m working out my blogging plans for 2015. If there is a subject you or your family are struggling with that you would like me to talk about in a future post please don’t hesitate to ask. We have big plans this coming year for building up our Rock Solid Family and I would love for you to join us.
~♥~ Anastacia “Stacie” Maness ~♥~
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:24 KJV
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