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Scripture: John 15:9–17
Key Verse: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)
Much of Scripture, including the Ten Commandments, has to do with relationship: our relationship with God and our relationships with each other and the world in which we live. We were made for relationship and find great satisfaction in a true friendship with someone who knows us well and loves us anyway—”warts and all.”
Right relationship with others starts with a right relationship with God. Other people cannot possibly meet our deepest needs in the ways that God can. Expecting them to do so only results in disappointment—the kind that can leave us bitter and angry.
Of all our friends, Jesus is truly our best friend forever (BFF). He will never disappoint us. It has been said that God has reserved the place of BFF in our lives for himself, and only God was meant to fill that role. Blaise Pascal, a deep thinker of the 1600s, called this a God-shaped hole in our heart—a hole only God can fill. While we may try to fill that empty place with many things such as activities, enjoyment, friends, those things do not last and often leave us wanting something more. Only God can satisfy our deepest longings and connect with us at the deepest levels of our souls.
Jesus calls those of us who believe in him his friends, and he promises never to disappoint us. If we follow his example, we will also learn how to be at true friend to others.
Consider
Have you put your trust in people who have let you down? What are some things that you have experienced that did not meet your expectations? How did you feel in both cases?
Think about times when you have encountered God or have seen God meet your needs in a significant way. How did this make you feel toward God?
Practice
As you go through your day today, think of God as your best friend, your BFF, and treat God that way. Talk to God about things you would normally tell your best friend. Share with him your deepest longings and greatest fears. Ask God for help with your biggest (or smallest) challenges. Send a text to yourself, but write it to God, knowing that he will read it and respond in his way and in his timing.
Chat
Dear God, thank you for treating me as a special friend. You have revealed yourself to me and have shown me your great love me, through Jesus. Help me to trust you and treat you like the dearest friend I have. Amen.
