I hate having a cold. I'm sniffly and sneezy and stuffy and drippy (how does that work?!) and my head feels heavy and my body feels light, like I'm moving in outer space, and I'm so tired of coughing. I think one of the worst things about having a cold, though, is having to tell people what's wrong. "I have a cold," I say, as pathetically as I can. I feel awful, but the inevitable reaction is, "Oh, I'm sorry," in a slightly sympathetic (but mostly dismissive) tone. A cold. A common cold. A COMMON cold!!! Like my misery can be truly wrapped up into that one word. A cold. As in, "I'm cold." "Oh, what a diss! That was cold!" "It's just a cold." Sigh. I want a disease that sounds impressive, that somehow conveys how awful I feel. So when someone asks me what's wrong, I can say ______ and get a reaction that is more equal to the misery I'm somehow making it through.
What things are called really does matter. Can you imagine the viscious villian of your favorite story being called something silly? Harry Potter versus Bob! Mufasa is killed by Pumpkin! You just can't have that. Darth Vader... who doesn't hear that name and sense the dark side?
In much the same way, what you call God matters. God has many names and attributes in the Bible-- Messiah, Prince of Peace, Faithful, Provider, God of Abraham, Just... God wants to be the God of YOUR situation. He doesn't want to be some far-off God; he wants to be up close and personal. Think about it like this: I relate to different people in different ways. I have co-workers, and I talk to them at and about work. The co-workers who also fit into the category of 'friend,' I also call to chit-chat sometimes. The man who is my fiance, best friend, friend, and brother in Christ fits into more spots in my life. God wants to be involved in every part of my life. When I'm sad, he's Comforter. When I'm happy, he's Joy. When I need help, he's Counselor. God is always there, and most importantly, he's always Love.
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