“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” -John 15:15
When talking about friendship, this is the most impressive thing that Jesus says: “I no longer call you servants, I call you,” what? “Friends”! I call you friends. Servants don’t know what their master is up to, but friends are in on it! Jesus tells us that he wants you to be in on what he’s doing, and he wants you to partner with him. Friendship is such an important part of human existence, whether it’s with Jesus or anyone else.
If you often feel lonely and, like all of us, have that deep sense and need for friendship, the part of you that doesn’t want to be alone and wants to have companions is a part that is godly. The more you want friends, the more you want to be with people, in many ways, the more like God you are. And the more you don’t need people, the more you say you don’t like people, the more you separate yourself, the more inhuman you become.
There’s something about friendship that heals that bit of insanity in every individual. There are so many films from Bride of Frankenstein to Don Quixote to As Good as It Gets with Jack Nicholson that, in each story, reveal how friendships turn around the lives of the key characters and make them more sane and more human.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, sometimes when I feel lonely, I feel weak. Thank you for showing me that my need for others comes from you. Amen.
REFLECTION: In what way is your need for companionship godly?