A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17
You and I were created for friendship with God. For some, the idea of being friends with God is difficult to grasp. It can feel like a lack of proper reverence. The good news is that it’s not an either or proposition. Yes, we are called to trust Him as our Savior, to serve Him as our Lord and to worship Him as our King. But we are also invited to enjoy Him as a friend.
In John 15:13 Jesus said to His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Later in verse 15 He affirmed, “No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends.” In giving His life for us Jesus proved that He is the greatest friend we could ever hope for. But what does it mean to have Jesus as a friend and how do we cultivate that friendship? This is where the Proverbs help give us some insight.
Proverbs 18:24 says, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Friendship with Jesus means that we can trust Him to always be there for us. He will never abandon us, move out of town, or get offended and unfriend us. You can count on Jesus!
Proverbs 22:11 says, “One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.” Jesus had the ultimate pure heart and was full of grace and truth. We cultivate a friendship with Him by loving what He loves and letting His Word dwell richly in our hearts.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Being friends with Jesus also means that He is going to confront us and sharpen us through His Word and show us areas of our lives where we need to improve. It may be challenging, but that’s what real friends do.
Jesus calls us friends. Are we cultivating that friendship with Him?
You and I were created for friendship with God. For some, the idea of being friends with God is difficult to grasp. It can feel like a lack of proper reverence. The good news is that it’s not an either or proposition. Yes, we are called to trust Him as our Savior, to serve Him as our Lord and to worship Him as our King. But we are also invited to enjoy Him as a friend.
In John 15:13 Jesus said to His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Later in verse 15 He affirmed, “No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends.” In giving His life for us Jesus proved that He is the greatest friend we could ever hope for. But what does it mean to have Jesus as a friend and how do we cultivate that friendship? This is where the Proverbs help give us some insight.
Proverbs 18:24 says, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Friendship with Jesus means that we can trust Him to always be there for us. He will never abandon us, move out of town, or get offended and unfriend us. You can count on Jesus!
Proverbs 22:11 says, “One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.” Jesus had the ultimate pure heart and was full of grace and truth. We cultivate a friendship with Him by loving what He loves and letting His Word dwell richly in our hearts.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Being friends with Jesus also means that He is going to confront us and sharpen us through His Word and show us areas of our lives where we need to improve. It may be challenging, but that’s what real friends do.
Jesus calls us friends. Are we cultivating that friendship with Him?
Posted in devo