John 15:15 – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (NIV)
We have recently moved to a new community and have left behind some very dear friends. We are slowly getting to know people here and are beginning to make some new friends. We've also had several of our old friends drop by to visit us. What a blessing it is to see familiar faces!
What a wonderful gift friends are! Friends enjoy being together. Friends share with each other — good times and bad times, happy times and sad times. We all need friends. We all want to be loved and accepted. We all want to belong.
There is no truer Friend than Jesus. He loves us and accepts us unconditionally. Even though our human friends may sometimes let us down, Jesus will always be there for us. I once read that a real friend is one who helps us to:
- think our noblest thoughts,
- put forth our best efforts, and
- be our best selves.
Jesus does all of these things and more. He even died on the cross for us, giving His very life for us.
John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (NIV)
Jesus calls us His friends. He wants us to spend time with Him and enjoy fellowship with Him every day, and to share our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears, even our doubts with Him.
But are we being true friends to Jesus?
- Do we spend time in prayer with Him each day?
- Do we take time to read His Word and apply it to our daily lives?
- Do we listen to His voice?
- Do we treat Him with the same respect that we treat our other friends?
- Does the world know He's our Friend by our actions?
- Do we introduce Him to others?
- Are we willing to put His will ahead of our own?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You so much for the precious gift of friends. We especially thank You for sending us Your only Son, Jesus, to be our Friend, a Friend who is always with us wherever we go. Help us to be true friends to those around us, and, most of all, to be faithful and obedient friends of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
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