Can We Be Friends
- D. S. Wells
- Mar 29, 2021
- 4 min read
John 15:12-15 “This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father.”
No matter how young or older we are we all long to have friends. In school it was sometimes more difficult when we didn't quite “fit in”with the cool kids. As adults we handle it better but we all still long for the friendships.
I believe we were meant to have friendships; we need friendships. At creation we were created for relationships. We were created in God's image meaning God wanted us to work in a relationship with Him and one another, Genesis 1:26. If you read more you can see that God creates everything to work in twos not alone, Genesis 1:27. And we know God spent time with Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:8. God enjoyed His friendships, His relationship with Adam and Eve.
I recently heard a new view on God, Adam, and Eve that got me thinking. “It was Adam and Eve who chose to break their relationship with God, not God, and since then God has been trying to gain back that relationship with mankind.”
God will never force a relationship with anyone, but He longs for a friendship with His creation. He is not only hoping, but He also longs to be part of our lives. Think about relationships you might have had in the past with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Not just a passing fancy but any of those serious relationships that broke you to pieces when it was over. I remember how hard it was for me and my boyfriend, now hubby, when we were dating. Sometime during that time, we thought it best to break up. I remember the heartache of not seeing him and how it felt but it was even harder going to church, seeing each other but not sitting with each other and that was difficult. I couldn't help but long for what we had. (Thankfully, God had other plans, and he is still my love and my best friend). But knowing the feelings or longing that I had back then helps me to better understand about half of what God feels to have a relationship with us.
We have always been told, “You need God in your life to survive in this world. You need God in your life for peace and happiness”. Although all of that is true, here's another question. Does God need you? Think about this a moment. God is love. God is the Prince of love. God is the King of love. Colossian 3 begins by telling us when we choose Christ in our heart, we have a new life. Our sinful ways are gone, and we have a new life in Christ. Colossians 3:4 “Christ is your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory. Verse 12 “God has chosen you and made you His holy people. He loves you…”
Absolutely, God needs us as we need Him. God never walked away from the friendship and He spends each day waiting for us to come back to Him. And when we renew that friendship, He pours out His love to us. Throughout the Bible we can see how God has been and is trying to restore our broken relationship even to the point of sending His only Son to the cross for our sins and our mistakes, Romans 5:6-8.
How many of your friends can you say would whole heartedly die for you and your friendship? Yet God longs to restore that friendship and put aside His hurt and gave the free gift of His Son's death to make us right with Him, which will restore the forever relationship we need with each other.
Do you have fun with your friends now? Of course, you do, you share common interests, speak the same language, and you are strength to each other. This was God's intention from the beginning. Yet He wasn't expecting to watch from the sidelines, He wants to be just as much a part of your life as your friends are. He will always be a prayer away, but He doesn't long just to be “that” guy you go to in times of trouble or a time of need. He longs to share the joys and laughter too because He loves you so much. Colossians 3:14 “Love is what holds you altogether in perfect unity”. And if God is love, King of love, then we also need Him to hold us together.
You may be thinking, “I do count Him as my friend,” but really take time to examine this friendship. How much time do you spend with God like you do with your friends? How much do you share with Him like you do your friends? Is God your friend only during your devotions or do you spend time throughout the day with Him? Today, Jesus is asking, “Will you be my friend? I'm dying to be your friend.”
For further study take some time to read through Colossians 3:12-17 and Romans 5:1-11.
We will pick up our Blue Jean Faith Study on Thursday. If you want to join in the study of James I am adding the first studies here to review what we've been studying. Just click any of the links and join in.
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