Familiarity
Fa-mi-li-arity: informality, casualness, lack of restraint. Familiarity means to know someone or something very well and in such a way as to cause you to lose your admiration, respect and sense of awe. It also connotes a sense of becoming presumptuous, where a person is too confident in a way that shows a lack of respect.
Jehovah God has so opened the eyes of our heart, that without him, we would not have been able to see or understand spiritual things. He has drawn us close to his side, but familiarity often destroys that relationship. When familiarity steps in, a person begin to take principles, processes and people for granted! It robs the relationship and the individual tend not to celebrate things as they once did. If left unchecked, familiarity can result in jealousy, anger, lust, bitterness, sadness, or stagnation. We must be watchful and stay alert to it, because it is a root that problems will grow out of.
When God speaks He expects us to be “all in,” He knows what is best, and will only tolerate complete obedience to His instructions!
The Prophet Elisha wanted to teach King Johash, a strong lesson using arrows. Elisha said, “take the arrows and strike the ground!” Johash then struck the ground three times and stopped. Elisha then explained to him, what his particular instructions was about.
“The arrow represents victory, victory, victory over your enemies. You will utterly crush your enemies!” The prophet got angry at him for stopping, and said, “if you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
When God calls you to follow His complete instructions, even though they may seem ridiculous, step up, in obedience!.
Johash could not seem to let go of his familiarity of how he had always fought battles; striking the ground with arrows, seemed absolutely ridiculous! Yet this was how God instructed, through his prophet, in order to get complete victory!
Many times we don’t obey completely, the instructions and dictates of the scriptures, in the way that God has instructed, because the tasks we are asked to do just doesn’t make sense.
King Johash’s familiarity with how he had always defeated his enemies, caused him to miss out on what is known as an “uncommon” piece of instruction; but it promised total victory! He didn’t understand that God was trying to teach him a new way to live and prosper! Which is—to walk and live by faith and not by the familiar!
God wants to give us faith-domineering perspectives and spiritual intelligence, that will always work; but we keep holding on to what is familiar, what feels comfortable, and how we’ve always done it. 🙄
Many times, we are simply not obedient to the will of God; but rather try to make just “little adjustments” to make it seem as if we have obeyed. We want to hold on to the outdated models of what we are familiar with!
Familiarity can be the exact same way someone can relate to God, as well as people. Excessive familiarity with God, has been running unchecked, excessive and without control within the church of God. People now seem to want to act how they want, when they want, and say and do their own thing—and not the purposes of God. This attitude is contrary to what the Scriptures teach.
God cannot be seduced, manipulated and controlled! He is Lord and very clear as to His instructions as to how to live in victory!
Familiarity causes us to be lethargic and nonchalant about matters of importance, and makes us careless with relationships and opportunities. FAMILIARITY!
Familiarity is a trickster that is cruel to righteousness—but kind to wickedness...