What Kind of Christian Do You Think I Am?!?

Whenever I am going through a hard time, I have my list of people that I can call to help me figure out what is going on. I of course call my mom and my dad, my sister too. I have my friends, church elders and the pastor and his wife. This is not an exclusive list. To be honest, if I am desperate enough, I would probably get the opinion of just about anyone. I am known to be a friendly person. In fact, when I was in eighth grade, I was voted Most Likely to Make a Friend While Standing in Line. It's true. As the years have passed since I was in eighth grade, I have learned a little bit about keeping my mouth shut. The operative phrase being "a little bit."
I still have a problem though with going to my friends for advice. Now, you might be thinking, what's wrong with asking for advice? Doesn't the Bible say "the wise listen to advice"? (Proverbs 12:15) Well, yes, it does. But who are you asking? Are they Christians? Because if they aren't then they don't have the same operating guidelines that you do. Even at that, Christians are still people. They make mistakes. Even as much as we may try to keep that part of our lives covered up, we are not perfect. Not even close.

Fortunately, whenever I ask my family or friends for advice, I most often get one or both of these responses: "Have you prayed about it?" or "Have you read what the Bible says about that?"
I might respond with "well yeah of course." But in my head I am screaming "WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN DO YOU THINK I AM?" How could they insinuate that I am anything but diligent in my Christian tasks? I am offended. My pride has taken a hit. What really going on is that I feel convicted. I really haven't been praying about it. I really haven't been reading my Bible. It's infuriating that I get this cookie cutter Sunday School response. But after a moment the truth settles in. My life may not be perfect when I am reading my Bible or praying all the time, but it sure is a lot more peaceful. There is a better perspective on things that minimizes worries and doubts.
This is because all of the answers that you would ever need are already here. They are written down in His Holy Word. He is a confidante in our prayers. He can be that source of peace, joy, and love that we are all looking for in all the wrong places.

At the end of the day, I am happy I am offended. I am happy to be convicted of where I am lacking. It is a testament of my true existence as a child of God. If I weren't bothered by their questions, then it would indicate a lack of care for the things of God. My friends aren't saying that I am being punished for my lack of obedience. They are just reminding me that I already have access to the answers I seek. This is what good Christian friends should be doing. This is not to say that advice from our friends should not be valued, rather we should make sure it is ranked with the proper importance.
Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves a son or a daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.  Matthew 10:37-39