Is God Your Intern?

Most internships are full of tedious work or errand running. Rarely does a company ever take advantage of the skills that that a young individual might bring to the table. If you are the boss or manager, the intern is there to assist you at any given moment. If you are a lower level employee, the intern is probably still someone you tell to make copies and fax documents. Interns often have the worst jobs, and they don’t get paid for any of it!

Here are 6 ways that indicate you may be treating God like your own personal intern:

1. Your prayers sound like a long list of to-do’s. Example: Dear God, heal him, help her job situation, bring in more business, make the kids listen better the first time, stop her from being rude to me, make me more organized, etc.
2. You forget about Him until you need something done. Example: You have not read your Bible in two weeks, but crisis struck and now you feel like God is not there for you.
3. You want Him to do your dirty work for you. Example: If you have a problem forgiving someone, you think it is God’s fault for not making you a more forgiving person. It is God’s job to fix the problem, not yours.
4. You don’t pay Him. Example: You want all the benefits, but tithes, offerings and generosity are last on your priority list.
5. You treat Him like He needs you, not you need Him. Example: You like to think of yourself as independent and self-sufficient. You feel that God is the one who needs you to accomplish His purpose, so you feel you are amazing for helping Him out. Give yourself a big pat on the back *sarcasm*.
6. You are not seeing Him for all He is worth. Example: You know God can heal, fix certain situations and bless, but you forget about the relational companionship He offers. Do you know Him as comforter, friend, Father, and refuge?

God should be the CEO of your life. If you are under-employing or under-appreciating Him, you are taking advantage of Him. God wants to be and should be LORD of your life. He is not just a part, but the whole!

Marital Application: (At NAME, we always put in a marital application because that is the ministry we have been called to focus on.) If  God is a second-class citizen in your life, chances are your spouse will be too. God has designed a priority of ordered loves. It is supposed to be GOD—spouse—family—church—others. God is supposed to take that first spot; if you have one spot out of place, then they all shift out of place. Also, if God has become your glorified errand boy, you are not connected with who He is relationally to you: Father, friend, King, confidant, etc. Without a well developed relationship with the Maker of perfect relationships, you will struggle creating a healthy marital relationship on your own. Make God the CEO of your marriage.