Guest blog submitted by jdlovesgod1750I have just gotten back from my short term mission trip to Bay St. Louis. I learned to do so much while I was there. I learned how to mud and sand sheetrock. I learned what tools you need to put waffer board under a house on stilts. I learned that by just being myself I can inspire others. And I learned how important friends are to our lives.
I never have had really close friends before. Throughout my week in Bay St. Louis I was a part of what I would jokingly call a "clan." We all were close friends while we were down there. It was a feeling of something I never really felt before. I belonged to like a sliver of a lot of groups, but I never really belonged to one group of people.
I really feel that those people were true blessings from God, to me and everyone else in the group. I felt as if I was being loved. And God tells us to love our friends, so I don't find it awkward to say that I felt loved by my friends.
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other." – John 15:14-17
So God doesn't just tell us to make friends, He commands us to do it. If God specifically says to "Love one another," or make friends as you might want to say, it must really be important if God gives friendship such high authority in our life.
I think God does this because friends are sometimes the only reasons that we continually decide to live through each day. Many times our friends show us who we are. If it wasn't for my friends, well, I would not be a Christian.
Don't take friendship for granted. Make it a higher priority in your day-to-day life. If God considers friendship a big thing in a someone's life, then shouldn't it be?
Are you part of a close group of friends? If not, do you want to be?
Comments (7)
no and no
I used to be a part of a "close" group of friends. Close is in quotations because I think I called it close, but I was kind of blind to see that it really wasn't (hindsight is 20/20 though, right?). Anyway, a bunch of crap happened with that group and half of us no longer really talk. I would love to be a part of a close group of friends though, but in a careful way. I think it would be much more beneficial/better if they were Christians. The group I mentioned at the beginning of this post the majority were not Christian, so that could be part of it. *ShrugS*
I do agree that friendship is very important.
I had never had the experience of having a good group of friends until two years ago. I've been a "Christian" my whole life, but being accepted and loved by people that were what I just tried to be was the most incredible thing. The group has shifted a bit since then, but I have the most amazing bunch of Christian teenagers in the world, I swear. Most adults I meet are not as on fire for God as they are, and they're so genuine and real about their life and walk with God. I give thanks everyday for them, and I wish everyone could meet them :).
I have a group of close friends. They're cool and supportive although most of them aren't Christian. I believe that God blesses us with the right set of friends, Christian or not.
Hmm friends. I smile as I think that we are suppose to love our enemies and pray for them. We are to be known by our love which makes us different as we love the unlovely. So, would we be accomplishing loving people when our enemies don't realize they are our enemies as we literally love them so much too! It would be like praying and loving them toward God! Patience and forgiveness would have to rule which can go against human nature. A constant challenge but can be done only with God's love flowing through us!
No one has the right to demand I make friends. Fuck that.
Yes, i am! : D And they are all christians. I love them so much! They
are far more supportive and encouraging then my non-christians friends.
They are fun to be with as well. : D