My Friend Jesus

Does that sound sacrilegious? Maybe it does to some people, but in the New Testament we are called His friends. We once were servants, but now are His friends. So what does that mean, to be a friend of Jesus? How does that work? These are questions that you can take years meditating about. These are questions that people have been asking about for years. How can you be a friend to your Lord and Savior?

Well, it’s all done by grace. The only way to approach Him is under the Grace that He has given us. The same grace that paid for our sins is the grace that allows us to boldly come into the throne room and sit with Him as a friend. So let’s think about how friends relate with friends. First, friends do everything out of relationship. They love to spend time just hanging out together. You don’t have to force friends to schedule time with each other. Life just happens. It’s the same way with Jesus, it’s just about hanging out. It’s not about disciplined bible study. Bible study is important but it should be out of a desire and love for relationship and to learn more of His character and His love. It’s really about time alone with Him. It might be in worship and it might not even look traditional. I know many believers who have their best time with Him as they drive to work every morning. Personally, some of my best times have been while I was running. Especially long runs where my mind really wanders to all of His goodness.

Secondly we have to get over the fact that all He did was die for our Salvation. That is huge, and the most important first step, but He did so much more. He bought our freedom; the freedom to love and be loved; to dream and to risk. Ht bought us the freedom to fail and still pick ourselves up and try again. The freedom to dream is so huge. It keeps us coming back to Him for more when we run out of ourselves He is always there for us, no matter what. He set us free to partner with Him in bringing His Kingdom down on earth. For some reason, He wants us to have a say in how and when it happens. This is big, and we really don’t understand all that it entails.

But most of all, Friends tell friends secrets. He is no exception, He wants to tell us secrets; secrets about everything. He loves to talk, and He just wants us to listen sometimes. So He tells us His secrets, and then we get to see them come to fruition. In fact, sometimes He is the one that works with us to bring them to pass. Sometimes He just wants us to pray about them and ponder them in our hearts for a season. He loves us, and wants us to hang out with Him more than we want to Hang out with Him.

It’s important that as believers, we know that our relationship is one of a friend and not a slave. A friend knows what his friends are doing. A slave just accomplishes tasks for his master. I’m glad that I am a friend of Jesus and I can hang with Him any time and anyplace. He is my best friend and we tell each other’s secrets. It’s exciting to be involved with what He is doing today in the world.