Who Are Your Friends? Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14 I heard a joke once that a friend would bail you out of jail but a good friend would be sitting in the cell next to you, laughing with you about what you both had just done. When I was a much younger man, I agreed with this. As I have matured, I have added, “A really good friend would help you think through what you are about to do and help you see that doing something you could get arrested for is not in your best interest.” These are friends that would hold you accountable for your thoughts and actions and be honest with you. Over the years, I have had friends that hold me accountable. Not that I would do anything I would be arrested for, but I may be about to make a mistake. These friends are really there for me. I have made some real friendships over the years. Some of them are long distance, but I know if I need to talk or I am down, I can call and they will lift me back up. There have been times in my life my self-image was quite poor. I felt I wasn’t good enough. I’d say, “I will never get that job, that girl would never go out with me, I will never be able to accomplish this or that, I am not good enough for this, and I am just not good enough.” I have said, “Nobody really likes me. They just feel sorry for me and will tolerate me.” When I have failed at something, I say, “See, I knew I couldn’t do it.” I had very poor self-esteem and felt very alone and very sorry for myself. I was a self-made victim. I have friends that have helped me mature and have told me I have never truly failed at anything. They would say, “Isn’t it great you tried?” Only a real man would even consider giving something like that a shot. They told me courage isn’t the absence of fear but that it is facing that fear. My friends would build me up. Over the years, I have learned to not listen to the negative thoughts. I have great friends. Why would they even be my friend? They saw something in me that made them want to be my friend. I have matured through friendships. I want to be there for my friends, and I have actually had the chance to be the mature one at times. Jesus said he gave up his life for his friends. I am his friend because I trust and believe in him. I also obey his commands. God counted Abraham as his friend because he believed God and obeyed his commands. If I believe and obey his commands, God counts me as a friend. As God’s friend, how could I possibly have low self-esteem? God has chosen me as a friend. Imagine: I am the friend of the King of kings, the Creator of heaven and Earth. If I obey his commands, I am his friend. God is always there for me. James said, “Faith without deeds is worthless.” So works may not get me into heaven, but faith does. The deeds of faith are an act of obedience and true belief that seals my friendship with God. Next time you think you might be inferior, remember who your friends are. Through faith and obedience, you are counted as God’s friend. How much better can it get? If God loves you, who are you to say you are not good enough? Jesus made you good enough. He made you righteous to his Father by his sacrifice. To be God’s friend brings me great joy and builds me up. My friends love me, God loves me, and now it is my turn to love me. If God is for us, who can be against us? Not even me. God Bless Ken Jones
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 20:26:57 +0000
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