Growing up in a traditional church meant singing hymns and I must admit it is hard to pick my favorite hymns since I have many! One of my many favorite hymnal songs is ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’. Singing this song as a child, I did not understand what it truly meant to have Jesus as a friend. I am now grown enough to understand the precious gift and privilege of friendship with Jesus. Jesus on earth was the perfect model of friendship and without going against his word, he demonstrated true friendship with those he called his friends.
This does not take away from his Majesty, it reminds us that he has a love for us that is so deep that even in his sovereignty he can still be a friend.
Jesus as a friend
What is Jesus as like as a friend? This is not a mysterious question we will only know when we reach heaven. When Jesus was on earth he was a friend to many and evidently, the stories tell us how good of a friend he was. He understood the need for connection and relationship more than anyone he surrounded himself with. Because he knew we were created to connect with each other, he too made the effort to cultivate and nurture friendships. Jesus as a friend is;
- Sincere – Jesus genuinely wants to connect and form a friendship with us.
- Intentional – Jesus is an active participant in the friendship we have with him and purposefully engages with us.
- Present – Jesus is attentive to our needs and our desire for connection.
- Truthful – Jesus tells us the truth even when we may not like it.
- Reliable – Jesus will be there for us always.
- Trustworthy – Jesus would not betray our trust in him.
- Selfless – Jesus loves and cares for us deeply.
What a wonderful friend we have in Jesus! From experience, I can confirm he has been the truest friend to me. It is such a blessing to be connected with Jesus in friendship. I feel like an unworthy friend at times because I don’t steward my friendship with him very well. I know we have all been there, but I hope this does not stop you from cultivating your friendship and stewarding it well.
Being a friend of Jesus
If we know how Jesus is as a friend, how can we be friends of Jesus? He says it clearly in his word, we can not miss it if we are desiring his friendship. In John 15:14 Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you”. What does Jesus command us to do? Let us read Matthew 22: 37-39, he says,
'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].'
By obeying these commands we can create friendship with Jesus. Obeying these commands comes with intentionality from us. Our love for God and God’s people must be sincere without wrong motives. When we continuously make the choice to obey these commandments, we draw ourselves closer to friendship with Jesus. We can also cultivate our friendship with Jesus by communing with him. Communing with him is finding opportunities to engage with him, after all no good friendship is without coming together. As you cultivate your friendship with Jesus, remember to converse with him through prayer, and read his word so it can help you understand him more. Take some time to share your joys and burdens with him as you would with a sincere friend here on earth. He desires as much as you do for connection and a deep relationship with you. Set aside all the things that pull you away from cultivating a friendship with him. Being a friend of Jesus is truly a precious gift and privilege that we should not take for granted. Through his friendship, we find such great love and care that can never be compared to any other. It is something we should desire and treasure. It is time to take our rightful place. It is time to trade thorns for crowns.
Much love,
Xholiwe
Thorns to Crowns 