Have you noticed the bumper sticker “I’m a FONZ”? It is the symbol for a group of people who love and support our National Zoo in Washington, D.C. A F.O.N.Z. is a Friend of National Zoo. Very catchy, isn’t it? I have discovered another group of people that need to get organized and sell bumper stickers. These are the Friends of Jesus. (FOJ)
For years I have tried to figure out this large group of people who show up for church services at Christmas and Easter. They consider themselves to be Christian folk but would never make a commitment to follow Jesus but are friendly toward Jesus. Usually they have several Bibles in their homes, watch religious specials on the television, and fondly remember events from childhood about “going to church”.
Yes, they are friends of Jesus! These folks hold to the ethical teaching of Jesus, maybe not too tightly, but hold on to them nonetheless.
A friend of Jesus is so sure of this “friendly” relationship that he doesn’t have to trouble himself with such trivia as going to church every Sunday to listen to someone talk who knows no more than he does. Friends of Jesus believe that America is still a Christian nation because so many people are friendly toward Jesus.
Are you a FOJ? The problem is that being a friend of Jesus is more than feeling friendly toward Jesus. In John 15:14 (NIV) Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
To be a real “FOJ” involves the total surrender of your life to Jesus. It’s giving him control of your life. Two or three days a year doesn’t measure up.
There is a tendency in western society to trivialize Christianity to nothing more than a holiday. Familiarity may not breed contempt for Christianity but certainly a tendency not to take it seriously.
“Father, we love to sing the old hymn about ‘what a friend we have in
Jesus’ without counting the cost of living up to the words. Help us! Amen”
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