As I was listening to a teaching on our call to relationship with The Holy Spirit, I found myself convicted. Imagine a friend who only wants to talk when he wants something from you. 

“Hey man, can you forgive me for running over your cat? By the way, I really want a new couch.”

Perhaps this person also thanks you profusely. 

“By the way, these pants are amazing! I am so thankful for them, thanks for taking me to the thrift store and helping me find them. Also can you forgive me for eating the last scoop of ice cream last night? Don’t forget I’m still waiting for that new couch. See you later.”

Thankfully God is much more patient than I am, but if someone treated me like this I would see it as a very needy and shallow relationship. I would see the person as at best an acquaintance, and at worst, the bain of my existence. Unfortunately, this is also a caricature of how I have often prayed.

Jesus calls us friends. He desires a real relationship with us. Sometimes people define real relationships as friends you can talk about the hard things with. This may be partially true, but a real friend is someone you can simply just be with. In a true friendship, being together is both the result and the objective. Whether fishing, eating, working or talking the friendship is content in the being.