I have a beloved friend and fellow follower of the Lord Jesus Christ with whom I have had such a very tumultuous relationship. Up and down our friendship has gone. At times strong. Other times so weak. Sometimes close. Other times off we went our separate ways. Over the years our friendship has seemed at times to be over and other times as though it would go on for years to come. God has taught me much through this friendship including this.
Through it all, God has grown us individually and strengthened our friendship. As hard as we tried at times to break our friendship, God in His lovingkindness kept transforming us and strengthening the friendship.
Every time our friendship has fallen apart and nearly failed, it was because our flesh tried to run the show. We were at those times self-centered, self-seeking. The times our friendship has been strong, it has been because we yielded ourselves to Jesus and let Him lead the way. We both now realize we didn’t choose our friendship. God did. And He didn’t choose it so we as friends could be self-seeking. He chose our friendship so we could be God glorifying.
So we could love, pray for, encourage, and support each other in loving the Lord with all our hearts, so we could love one another, so God could use each of us to help the other one to grow in His image, so we could help one another to grow ever closer to Himself, and so we could support each other in helping others to know, love, serve, and worship God.
When friendship is about self, it is not glorifying to God. When friendship is chosen by God and used to honor and glorify Him, and so friends can love and bless one another, I believe God not only is glorified. But the friends are blessed by God and one another.
Let God choose and lead you in your friendships. And let your focus in your friendships be not self but God and your friends. I believe you will be blessed in so doing.
“A friend loves at all times,…” Proverbs 17:17 NKJV
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” John 13:34-35 NKJV
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 NKJV