My Relationship with Drew Barrymore

I'm a huge fan of Drew Barrymore. My kids would even say I'm infatuated with her. I love everything she does: I love pictures of her, movies she's in, talk shows on which she's a guest, everything. To me, she lights up the screen in way that is quite unusual. There is a joy she exudes that blesses me in that it uplifts me. I am a huge fan.

But she doesn't even know I exist.

Although I am not, I could be an even bigger fan. I could make it my business to know everything I could possibly know about her. I could devour celebrity magazines and watch celebrity “news” shows to make sure I was up on the latest developments in her life. I could read biographies – authorized and not. I could seek to know as much about her as is humanly possible.

And she still wouldn't know I exist.

As some do, I could start a fan website, a Facebook page devoted to Ms. Barrymore, anything at all to show my appreciation for her and to make others aware of her many wonderful qualities. I could do my part to encourage others to watch her movies and thereby increase her following. In short, I could seek to become her number-one fan.

And if she saw me on the street, she wouldn't even know who I was.

Although I may claim to know Drew Barrymore – and indeed, may know more about her than most people – she and I have no real relationship: I don't know her heart, her passions, her dreams, her heartaches. There's no intimacy.

Jesus has a lot of fans. And many are truly devoted and enthusiastic. But with how many does He have a true, two-way, intimate relationship? How many are just fans and not friends?

About many of His followers, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matt. 7:21-23)

Note all theses fans do for Him (prophesying, driving out demons, performing miracles). But they don't know His heart. There's no intimacy. And that's the only thing that matters.