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Friday, December 4, 2015
Read John 15:12 “This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends, if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you. 17 This is what I command you: keep loving each other!.
"You are my friends if you do what I command you."[John 15:14]
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One of life's greatest gifts is the gift of friendship. During his earthly journey, Jesus chose twelve men in whom he could confide, and with whom he could share the good times and the bad.
To me this is proof positive that God does not mean for us to live as lonely, alienated human beings. Instead, God means for us to share our journey with a small group of friends who share our values and who are there to support us and encourage us, especially in our lonely valleys.
All of us have acquaintances, perhaps many with whom we share little but polite conversation. Good friends, however, help determine the outcome of our lives. In my retirement, I have been privileged to be in a very diverse group of friends. Our age range is from early fifties to late eighties. Our one commonality is that we are Christian, but our careers are different, and we move in different social circles. We call ourselves "The Floozies" and meet monthly in homes or restaurants, and our conversations center around an assigned subject of discussion.
It is one of the most exhilarating groups to which I have ever belonged, but I also know that we will be there for one another when there is a need. I'm grateful to Christ that through his teaching and example, he encourages the gift of friendship.
Prayer: Loving and eternal God, thank you that Jesus showed us the importance of friendships. In his choice of twelve disciples, he demonstrated that we can make a greater difference for good by working with a group of like-minded friends, rather than by just working alone. Help each of us to be such a friend. Amen.
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