I think we all have at least one friend that we can tell anything to. The one we pour our heart out too because we know that we can trust them. Friends like that are special gifts. I was able to spend some extended time this summer with my dearest friend, other than my husband of course, and the time was much needed and refreshing. I came home with new perspectives on some things. It was wonderful. We all also have some friends that can be absolutely exhausting. You know the ones that really drain us emotionally. That is the type of friend I try very hard not to be. It is very important that we are the type of friends that love others first without any ill motivation. Love without being selfish and demanding. Love and kindness that is something we give and not just receive. It is super easy to focus on what our needs are verses what others’ needs are. Jesus gives us a great example of what a true friend is and what love truly is as well.
READ—John 15:12-17
Simply put if we break down the verses:
Vs. 12-14: To love others as Christ loves us is to love others without an agenda or expectations. We are commanded to do so. We should not put conditions or demands on our love to others. Jesus calls us friends if we do this.
Vs. 15: We are commanded to love but not commanded like a servant. A servant is someone who simply works for us but does not get to know any intimate details of our life. He is not calling us servants, he is calling us friends. Why? Because by following his commands we get to have a relationship with him. The Savior of the world wants an intimate relationship with us! He does not want it to be purely transactional.
Vs. 16-17: He chooses us!! We are not simply an obligation, we are chosen! Now that we are chosen, we grow in our relationship and bear fruit. A sign of a healthy tree is fruit. If you are a gardener, you know that when a garden is healthy the harvest is bountiful. It is the same with us. If we are abiding in Christ and following his commands, fruit will grow and show. People should not have to go digging for our fruit, it should be easy to spot.
Choose every day to love like Jesus! Be a true friend to someone! Not saying it is going to be easy, trust me. I have always told my kids, if you do not like how things are going, then you need to do something to change it. If you do not have that one friend you can count on, maybe it is time to step out of your comfort zone or maybe it’s time to stop being the consumer of friends, but rather be the giver of friendship. Be that friend!
Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, one person sharpens another.”
READ—John 15:12-17
Simply put if we break down the verses:
Vs. 12-14: To love others as Christ loves us is to love others without an agenda or expectations. We are commanded to do so. We should not put conditions or demands on our love to others. Jesus calls us friends if we do this.
Vs. 15: We are commanded to love but not commanded like a servant. A servant is someone who simply works for us but does not get to know any intimate details of our life. He is not calling us servants, he is calling us friends. Why? Because by following his commands we get to have a relationship with him. The Savior of the world wants an intimate relationship with us! He does not want it to be purely transactional.
Vs. 16-17: He chooses us!! We are not simply an obligation, we are chosen! Now that we are chosen, we grow in our relationship and bear fruit. A sign of a healthy tree is fruit. If you are a gardener, you know that when a garden is healthy the harvest is bountiful. It is the same with us. If we are abiding in Christ and following his commands, fruit will grow and show. People should not have to go digging for our fruit, it should be easy to spot.
Choose every day to love like Jesus! Be a true friend to someone! Not saying it is going to be easy, trust me. I have always told my kids, if you do not like how things are going, then you need to do something to change it. If you do not have that one friend you can count on, maybe it is time to step out of your comfort zone or maybe it’s time to stop being the consumer of friends, but rather be the giver of friendship. Be that friend!
Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, one person sharpens another.”