Today I read of an Australian man being killed by a kangaroo he had been keeping as a pet. You have also heard of a pet tiger, boa constrictor, or shark killing their owner or trainer. It goes reasonably well at first, but their wild nature rises and the pet kills their former friend. There is a well-known maxim that goes all the way back to the 2 BC Syrian Publius. He said, “familiarity breeds contempt.” This certainly is not always true. However, it definitely has a clanging ring of truth in it. It is true not only of wild animals, reptiles or fish; it is also true of humanity.
It’s not unusual to read about two celebrities getting married and later divorcing. That happens to more than celebrities. It may happen to your neighbor, friend, or even to your marriage. After marriage, disenchantment sets in, followed by a divorce. When serving as a pastor, couples came to me after their marriage had lost its luster. The conflicts normally consist of unfulfilled expectations. The wife or husband had expected to marry someone who would meet their emotional or physical needs. When the person discovered that wouldn’t happen, reality, love and respect went down the tubes and the disenchanted person went looking for someone else they hoped would meet their expectations. My point is, after a person became familiar enough with their spouse’s weaknesses, or even a friend’s weaknesses, contempt soon shows its ugly head.
Here is how this works. Suppose you and I venture into a new friendship? In time, our familiarity reveals my inability to meet your expectations. Even if the expectations were misguided, that disillusion could lead to contempt that would dissolve our relationship. Judas Iscariot was first fascinated with Jesus and became the treasurer of the disciples. But the more familiar he became with Jesus, the more he realized Jesus would not meet his expectations. His betrayal followed.
The Bible says this phenomenon happened to the whole church family in Ephesus. Jesus said to these good people, I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first (Revelation 2:4, NLT2)! Acts 18 records how their first love for Christ was very passionate. Incredible things happened among them and in their community. But after only 30 years, their passion became mere routine or tradition and Christ had to give them a very stern warning.
How might you describe your love for your spouse, friends, or even Jesus Christ? Could it be your familiarity with any of them has caused your relationship to lose the luster it once had? It is all too easy for a person’s admiration of our Creator to degenerate into a casual acquaintance. Our God becomes our daddy who will ignore it when we take Him for granted. When we become more fascinated with sports, job, wealth, hobbies, or whatever than with our intimate time with our Creator; this path ultimately leads to serious heartache. Our casual familiarity with our God will separate us from the awe we once had of Him.
The fact is, I do not trust my own heart for God. I must continue to reposition myself so the Holy Spirit can give me a fresh revelation of His awe-inspiring deity. After reconsidering God’s infinite tasks of carefully managing multiple universes, love, wisdom in planning for billions of individuals, I experience a sense of awe as David had when he wrote, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him (Psalm 8:4, NIV)? With that frame of mind and emotions, I have the correct attitude when I face problems or blessings that come my way. I also have a deep assurance of my current and future relationship with our God.