It has been nine years since I became a Christian. In my near decade long pursuit to follow Jesus I have come across a number of Christian cliches that get tossed around with little if any push back. Many of these phrases have a second-cousin-twice-removed like connection to a Scripture verse or passage which gives the impression they are "Biblical" i.e. the Protestant litmus test. It may be phrases like: accept Jesus into your heart; washed (or cleansed) by the blood of Jesus; seek God's will for your life; anything using "righteousness;" we agree in prayer...; seek God's face; the Lord spoke to my heart; get into the word; turn it over to the Lord; or ...Spirit filled...
Of late the cliche that most troubles me is "personal relationship with Jesus." You can't be among a group of "Bible believing," "Evangelical," "Christ centered" Protestants for more than 30 seconds without the phrase "personal relationship with Jesus" getting launched into the hearing sphere. Lo ye dare to question thee phrase in public or thy may be smite(d). But honestly I have no idea what people mean by the phrase. Are Jesus and I buddies? Are we boyfriend/girlfriend? Are we roomates? Do we bowl together on Tuesdays? I'm afraid in our me-driven, experiential, consumer culture, "personal relationship with Jesus" looks more like Twilight without the fangs - "Oh Edward...Oh Bella...Oh Edward...Oh Bella...Let's be immortal forever xoxo."
When Jesus became a person God became personal and because of that we can personally encounter God. But the encounter is and must always be on God's terms and not our own. God is at center of our encounter and he always makes the first move. Any pursuit of a "personal relationship" with Jesus that seeks emotional highs and new frontiers of experience ultimately puts "me" at the center of the relationship (and I think that might be idolatry). Truly encountering God may require despair, crisis, and the utter absence of God's perceived presence. It may mean the implosion of all our cliches. God forbid, it may mean fewer hand-in-hand walks down the beach with Jesus and more deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.
