"Come on and go with us"

This invitation from friends, especially from my teenage and early adult years, still troubles me from time to time. Sometimes I said ok, sometimes I said no. Most of the time I knew "where they were going," other times I was in for a surprise...or a shock. I'm thankful for the times I said no and found out later that my friends had gotten themselves in trouble. I carry regret with me over the times I said yes, "went along to get along," went along for the sake of not "losing friends" or being considered a loser, nerd, or a ...uh, let's just say my "friends" had some pretty creative and colorful names for those who chose NOT to "go with them" at times.

As I've matured (a word I prefer over aged these days, haha), I've often pondered how much more remorse I'd carry or how many more regrets I'd have if I'd jumped in the car more when 'they' said "go with us" instead of standing in my driveway, feeling like a loser and social reject as my 'friends' drove off laughing at me and calling me those colorful names. Now, friends who say "come go with us" isn't nearly as risky...unless it has to do with going to eat at a buffet, get some ice cream, or shopping for hunting gear! Hahaha. I've also pondered what all this has to do with my walk with Christ. Particularly, in an age when it's pretty popular among Christians to consider oneself "Spirit filled," "walking in His Presence," basically, claiming that our lives are controlled, even affirmed by God.

Two passages really trouble me when it comes to God's presence, one applying to an individual and the other to a nation. In Judges 16:20, the writer of Judges made this terrifying statement about Samson, a man's man, a warrior and leader who had forfeited God's presence in his life for sexual immorality..."he did not know that the Lord had left Him." In 1 Samuel 4:21, a baby born to a mother who died in birth was named Ichabod, meaning "the Glory (God's presence) has departed from Israel." As troubling as these two cases are, God never leaves us without hope! In Ephesians 5:18, Paul instructs us to "Be filled with the Spirit," the original language literally charging us to "be being kept filled." Being "filled with the Spirit" is also passive in that we only submit to this filling, we don't control it. A passage that facilitates our being in a "being kept filled" position is Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." 

What does this have to do with my "Come and go with us" life lesson? According to some of the guys who challenged me to ride with them, our "friendship" hinged upon my willingness to go and participate in what was often partying-beer drinking, occasional weed smoking, and almost always sex with girls (or trying to find one who 'would').  I do not claim to be a saint, that I didn't go with them a time or two, nor do I condemn anyone (including my friends) who made these choices. At the risk of coming off prideful or condescending, I have realized that who I am would have been compromised if I'd have jumped in the car or truck every time they said, "Come go with us."

My sincere question, and this comes from a heart desiring to please my Lord and speak truth to friends/anyone else who cares to read, is "Can we really claim to be 'Spirit filled,' to be 'walking in His presence' without being people who allow the 'word of Christ to dwell in us richly?" I'm concerned that claiming God's presence has become a cliche in Christian circles, a comforting social media post, and spiritual lingo among American Christians. If I sincerely evaluate my life according to His word, I must ask myself a sobering question, and invite any readers of this to do the same, "Can God go with us, with me, with you?" "Has the Lord/His Glory departed from me, from us?"