The Awesome Gift of Friendship

“Everything is from God, including friendship. It’s not how nice or interesting or attractive I am to gain a friend, they are all from God.”

...A friend made this statement to me a few weeks ago and it has stuck with me.

The Bible says that: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).” Of course I knew that all things come from God but I never stopped to think about friendship and how it too comes from God. I then began to think about the friendships that could have been, the people that have come into my life but that I missed the opportunity for a potentially good friendship.

I also began to think how we were not made to be alone. God is relational, He is surrounded by angels, His son, and whatever other heavenly beings that are in the heavenly realms. Before the foundation of the earth there was just God and the Son, but he decided to make a whole creation of spiritual and human beings. I’ve got a friend that doesn’t want friends and he thinks he’s ok like this, but in essence he’s not. No matter where we are in life, single, married, a child, an adult- we need human companionship- God made companionship because He likes it too, and He has given it to us to enjoy each other’s company and not be alone.

A few Biblical friendships that come to mind is David and Jonathan, which you can read about in 1st and 2nd Samuel. Both cared for each other and loved each other like brothers. David also had amazing friendships with other people as well: with Ittai (2 Samuel 15), with Nahash (2 Samuel 10), and with Abiathar (1 Samuel 22).

I'm also moved by the friendship that Jesus had with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. The Bible tells us that: Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (John 11:5).

Ruth and Naomi had an awesome mother-in-law & daughter-in-law friendship. (Book of Ruth).

Job had an awesome group of friends during his time of extreme challenge. They sat and listened to him in his anger, hurt, frustration, and weeping. Often in life you find out who your friends truly are in times of challenge and need.

Paul had a good friendship with Priscilla and Aquila. "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them (Romans 16: 3-4)."

In the awesome creation of relationship (platonic or romantic), God uses them to make us more like His son. In my friendships, I have been blessed by my closest friends, learning from them and learning about myself, and how to be a better person. Friendships allows us to be our deepest and truest selves, and somehow in this, for the believer, we get to know and understand God better. Here mutual forgiveness thrives, as friends can’t be friends without forgiveness. And in the romantic sense, marriage is two forgiving friends coming together.

Thank God for friends, eh! Perhaps we can take some time today to thank God for blessing us with awesome friendships, and write our friends and tell them how much they mean to us.

Happy Friday! Happy Easter! Be blessed and bless others! And, there are 272 days left in 2015. What are we doing to use our gifts and talents to serve our generation?

xo