I AM A FRIEND OF GOD
Recently, I have realized one aspect of God I have been neglecting is His friendship. I hadn’t noticed it before, but I suppose deep down calling God my friend almost seemed irreverent.
I don’t want to be a cherry-picker of what I will accept of God and what I won’t. For in doing so, I would be assuming the role of God. So I have begun meditating on what it means to have a friendship with Him.
There have been two specific ways God has been teaching me about His friendship: through the scriptures and through my friendships with fellow Christians.
Will you journey with me to learn about the friendship of God?
What do the scriptures say about a friendship with God? (John 15:12-17)
In John 15, Jesus refers to His disciples (including you, if you have received the gift of salvation!) as His friends. How remarkable that the God who made the heavens and the earth would make friendship possible!
Pay close attention to the three statements Jesus makes regarding His friendship and how you should respond.
#1 He says that the greatest love a friend can display is to lay down their own life for another. (John 15:13)
Christ demonstrated this love on the cross. You likewise are to lay down your desires and wants for the good of others.
#2 He says if you are His friends, you will do as He has commanded. (John 15:14)
Jesus modeled this through his obedience to God and told you to do the same. A friend is someone who you trust and put that trust into action.
#3 Jesus says He no longer calls you servant, but a friend and makes known to you God the Father. (John 15:15)
Your friendship with Jesus invites you into an intimate relationship of knowing God the Father. Jesus offers openness to you, and you should provide that to your friends as well.
What do disciples of Jesus today say about friendship with God?
In addition to the scriptures, God uses everyday relationships to reveal His ever-present nature. I have asked some godly friends to share personal testimonies of how their relationships with Christian friends have impacted their understanding of what it means to be a friend of God. Their responses are both insightful and encouraging.
Q: How have godly friendships deepened your understanding of friendship with God?
Answer #1: I understand God’s commitment to me as a friend better.
“Good friends are the ones you take time and effort to get to know, and you desire to be with that person. The commitment to be a friend allows us to know the person better. So in understanding God better it allows us to make that commitment to Him because he has already made that commitment to us. It helps us to understand the desire to be with God and walk with him in those moments of tough times. In that commitment, we are to be vulnerable in our sinfulness. There are times we had not wanted to talk (to each other) because of something we were struggling with. Yet, we all have gotten on Marco Polo (video messaging app) and admitted the things we are struggling with.” -A.M.
Answer #2: I understand that I am fully known in my friendship with God.
“Since we are friends, I know things before other people do. Before you guys post on facebook that you’re getting married, having a baby, or getting a new job I know those things because we talked about them before. I think that’s what Jesus means, we know him and he knows us. Friendship with God means to be fully known and to fully know. Friendship with you guys has shaped me in such a way that I feel free to be known. Even though sometimes I am hesitant, the Ebenezer of the past always presses me to share. I love that I can be known by you guys and that I know you guys.” -K.D.
Answer #3: I understand my friendship with God has unconditional love.
“In Proverbs, it says a friend loves at all times. The phrase “at all times” makes me think about how God is always there. No matter what is happening, where we are, or what point we are in our life, He is there all the time. And it is a non-conditional love and friendship. I think of human friendships and a lot of the times people get very upset or frustrated when it is a one-way street. It makes me think that even when I am being a whiny brat and just seeking God, and I am crying, and I am frustrated and mad about all the wrong things, He still loves me; which is amazing and hard to grasp.” -T.M.
Answer #4: I understand my friendship with God means I am never alone.
“I was reading Elizabeth Elliot’s “Path to Loneliness” this morning, and it talked about how we all feel alone sometimes. Part of that is because as much as we have other people we are in our own body, and no one knows what it is like to be in our own body and be in our experiences. Our relationship with God is special because the Holy Spirit dwells inside us. Although sin made brokenness between God and us, and we feel that loneliness, we can also feel that connection with Him because the Holy Spirit lives inside us. Friendship with God is that sense you can get that He is always with you. So even when you are doing tasks, the times I thought of friendship with God was when I was talking (to Him) and could pour everything out and know that it was going to be accepted.” -K.C
Reflect and Connect
1.) How has God been a friend to you?
2.) How has godly friendships deepened your understanding of friendship with God?
