LEARNING DAILY

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 have heard from My Father I have made known to you. Jesus

I have either read or heard somewhere that a person has only a handful of true friends; all others would be considered acquaintances or those you are friendly with. A true friend has many characteristics such as seeing those things in us that are not very attractive – they love us anyway. They may even point out those things to help us work on them. A true keeps us humble helping us remember where we came from. A true friend shows up when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. A true friend cheers us on no matter what the situation is. Those friendly with us might cheer us on but secretly don’t want us to succeed more than them. A true friend makes their friendship a priority when times are busy. A true friend wants us to be better or we want them to be better. We might even want to be like them (not be them) because they are a role model.

You get the idea, right? I have been very fortunate over the years to have those I call true friends. I have worked with them and in most cases I am fortunate to call them brothers in Christ as well. It seems that circumstances in life have caused us to drift apart, seldom seeing each other but they are still true friends. That is special and a privilege!

Read the verse from John again. Jesus is calling His disciples – He includes all who have been saved by Him today – “friends”. I wonder if this term for us is due to the rest of the statement which includes communication. He is saying that He talks to us (today) through His Word, informing and instructing us about walking with Him on a narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom. He does so in a way a true friend would talk to us and not is a harsh dictatorial manner with harsh commands. He speaks to us with in a gentle but firm way to keep us on the narrow way, a manner that supports and encourages us. When we fall, He encourages to get back up. When we take our eyes off of Him, His hand is there to take ours and help get our eyes back on Him. Jesus does all those things that a true friend does for us. This supports what He was saying about the branches and the vine. Through God the Father knowledge and love flow to Christ who keeps them flowing to us. We are to pass that knowledge of God and His love (His Word) on to others.

John 15:13 states one more thing about a true friend. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay your life down for his friends.” We hear this statement referring to our willingness to give our lives in the service of Jesus Christ. It certainly does refer to His obedience to hang on a cross for our sins. But perhaps there is more to this verse. In verse 12, Jesus told us “to love one another as I have loved you”. We are to follow Jesus in our love for others; we do that by abiding in Him. The ultimate act of this is to be willing to offer our life, as He did, for others. That takes us back to being a friend of Jesus. We might never be asked to give our physical life for another, but it might mean being a true friend to another in their time of need. That might not mean some great act or gesture. It does mean abiding in the love of Christ, doing whatever needs to be done to be a true friend to another. That is a consistent moment -by-moment approach to being Christlike in our walk on the narrow way. Is that not why He chose each of us? Is that not why He reveals to each of us the mysteries hidden from the world as we study His Word -- so we can share with others? As we are called His friends, we know the truth of His gospel and do as He commands. He walks with us as we do, giving encouragement and support just like we give and receive from our true friends.

I am so thankful for my true friends; I owe you so much. I am thankful to You Lord Jesus for saving, changing me, and never giving up on me!