You've Got a Friend

I love that scripture when Jesus tells his disciples that they are his friends. "I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me."  Jn. 15:15

I feel that it is such a privilege and honor to be considered a friend of Jesus. When we have a special friendship with someone we are granted certain privileges. In this case, Jesus reveals information. He tells us everything. Sometimes these friendships require a sacrifice. A friend lays down his life. (Jn. 15:13)  Whatever the friendship, we find that friends are indeed such a great privilege.

Well, Jesus said that we are His friends, and I have been thinking about that for a while. What does that really mean? What does that friendship look like with Jesus? There are things in my life with which I struggle. I find myself confessing over and over or just fighting so hard to overcome it or just get it right! Lately, I have come to realize on a deeper level that having this friendship with God means that He wants to walk with me. He wants to do this life with me. One of my favorite verses is when God says, "Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, "this is the way you should go" whether to the right or to the left." Is. 30:21

I really, really want to be close friends with God. For the intimacy that I desire, it means that I  share things with Him. I am honest and truthful and hold nothing back. When that openness and honesty comes, that means that He is going to share with me! We are doing this life together, side by side, as friends!

In one of the mentoring groups I led, one of the ladies made the comment, "It helps us because you have gone before us. You have walked this way before." God knows all about that. He goes before us. When I confess or tell him my struggles, He hears me and accepts me. Then as I walk throughout my day, He is right there with me. He is right there with His voice guiding me and CHANGING me. He is right there helping me to become more like Him. The more we hang out, the more we act alike! I think that is very cool. Hanging out with God, remembering that we are friends, that we are in this TOGETHER is just a wonderful thing to me. I don't have to do this alone.