Friendship+

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:13,14 NKJV

This is a follow on to the previous Blog on ‘comfort’, so as you read you may see a continuing thread of thought. Christ’s love is supreme in that His friendship toward us, led directly to His death and resurrection. It seems that our friendship was part of His divine plan, but based on the verse we shouldn’t be surprised by that fact. Bearing in mind the standard set for us, how do we choose and rate our earthly friendships? Make a mental note of your friends and ask yourself, ‘would I die for any of them’? Probably not, although you would lay down your life for your life’s partner or children I am sure, without a second thought.

I found myself asking, how do I know who my real friends are? You can answer for yourself, but for me, one of the main characteristics is that true friends can pray for each other, but more importantly for me at least, is that we can tell each other in love, as we support one other. But what is the difference between the love of our friends and our family? In a word it is blood. In our case, family blood that runs in the veins of our children. So it is with God. We are not just ‘friends’, but friends+, in fact we are family! Therefore Christ died for us as His family, and not just as His friends.

At a human level, our earthly friends may come and go. Some real friends will leave our groups, churches, but not our lives. Not if they are true friends. This week has seen me aware of a friendship with a Godly couple which was special and supportive, but in God’s direction are now being put into another and better place, closer to family and to new (as yet unknown) friends. I wish them well, as they follow God’s Will and direction for their lives. It cannot be wrong.

We talk about God opening a door as if it is only there for us to go through into an unknown, away from the place we are comfortable. But a door has two sides, and can also be used by God to allow an (as yet) unknown friend to walk through and become visible to us, emerging from that same unknown darkness on the other side of the door. In the same way as God is in the movement of my present friends, He is also in control of those new friends He will provide. I wonder if we will recognise His moving for what it is?

So, the link between ‘comfort’ and ‘friendship’? Simply this: As we give to each one, we will benefit, and our God will not disappoint. Not those special departing friends, nor the emerging new friends either. Who knows, maybe there is also room for us to achieve that special place of ‘friendship+’, with those new God given friends, in Jesus Name!