Think on These Things: Positive thoughts in a negative world…
Programs like Facebook actually give a false concept of what friendship is all about. Through Facebook, we can now have more friends than people we have met in real life. But imagine getting a notification from Facebook saying: Jesus wants to be your friend. Would you press the accept icon? We should—because Jesus really does want to be our friend.
And what a friend He is! People will always disappoint us. Even our best friends can sometimes let us down, but Jesus never will. Jesus is that friend closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). He’ll never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Jesus told the disciples in John 15:15, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
The disciples might have been surprised when Jesus called them friends. But that’s how Jesus felt. He walked with them, talked with them, and even washed their feet. He shared intimate details of His own relationship with God the Father and invited them to participate in that relationship.
In John 15:13, Jesus also said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” I guess He meant it because that’s what He did. He died for His disciples and He died for us, because Jesus is our friend.
There is no better friend to have than Jesus. Just think about it. He accepts us unconditionally. He loves us when we are unlovable. He wants to spend time with us. He’ll never leave or forsake us. He wants only the best for us. He rejoices with us when we accomplish something. He comforts us when we are weary. He picks us up when we fall. He stays with us when we are frightened. He cries with us when we are sad. He laughs with us when we are happy. That’s what friends do.
As we travel life’s highway, friends can come and go. Sadly, some BFFs will drift out of our lives and become distant memories. Sometimes they move and it’s hard to stay in contact. Sometimes they get offended and no amount of apologizing can soothe the hurt. Sometimes they change and don’t want to have us in their inner circle any more. However, the friendship with Jesus can remain constant.
Jesus does not change (Hebrews 13:8). If our friendship with Jesus dwindles, it’s because we no longer desire to be friends with Him. And through Jesus, we will always be welcome in that Trinitarian “in-crowd”—that “inner circle” of friends—Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and us.
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“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” ~Philippians 4:8 (KJV)
