Friends

“You are my friends if you do what I command. I know 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.”
John 15:14-15

Do you get that? Jesus – the incarnation of the One True God, the Creator of the universe, the King of kings, calls us friend. Sit with that for a moment, let it sink in – you and I are friends of God. He shares all that He knows about God with us – so we know God’s business.

Friendships are important to our well-being. Recently I got to spend some time with some “old” friends – we spent an afternoon celebrating the retirement of one of our gang. It was great to see people I hadn’t seen in a while and for all of us to greet one another with many hugs – being really glad to see one another after so many years.

Made a new friend also in the recent past – making new friends is also fun, you can never have too many people with you on the journey of life. Then there are far away friends – these are the friends you can’t wait to meet even if you have to wait until heaven to meet them. Friends help us get through the drama of life. They celebrate the good times with you and hold you in the bad times, they offer words of encouragement, condolence or they are just present in the moment with you.

Jesus, calls us friend and He is there celebrating the good, sharing in our pain and just being present in the moment with us.

A prayer
Father – Thank you for the friends we have both old and new. Thank you that we do not have to face this life alone that our friends are there to journey with us. Thank you that Your Son counts us among His friends – may we love one another the way that He loves us. Help us today to let our friends know just how much they mean to us. In the name of Jesus Amen.