Friendship

"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."
John 15:15

I believe friendship is highly valued in God's eyes. We are called to be friends to others in the same way that God has befriended us. Friendship is a special relationship. It involves trust, faithfulness, openness, and selflessness. This kind of relationship goes far beyond the servant and master relationship that Jesus spoke of. It moves us into a closer relationship with God, and that relationship can overflow to strong relationships with other people as well.
    Jesus was called, "A friend of tax collectors and sinners." The religious community of the day labeled him this way because of his relationships with these kinds of people. I believe Jesus was a friend to many people while he walked the earth. he was transparent, truthful, and always willing to receive people. It is this willingness that marks the nature of a friendship. Jesus has elevated our relationship with him from that of servants, to that of friends. This is because he has willingly revealed himself, the Father, and the secrets of heaven itself. There are no secrets among friends, and Jesus has withheld nothing from us.
    If we can understand true friendship with Jesus, we will know that our position is not a lowly one. It is a powerful one. I know there are many types of relationships that define our position with Christ. We are called, "The Bride of Christ." The book of Hebrews tells us that we are his brothers and sisters. But in each of these relationships, there must be the strong element of friendship so the relationship will be strong. I am married, and my wife is truly my best friend. I cannot imagine having a marriage relationship where friendship is not the centerpiece. It would lack depth and strength. In a marriage, friendship raises the level of our commitment. We are faithful to our spouses, not because we have to be, but because we want to be. We spend time with them, not because we have to, but because we want to be with them.
    It is this kind of friendship that we have with Jesus. He has freely opened his life up to us. He has willingly given up his life for us. Friendship always involves two or more people. So we must enter into that same committed friendship with Jesus. Are we willing to be open and transparent with Jesus? Are we willing to give up our lives for him? If we are, we have the greatest and loftiest of positions. We are his bride, his brothers and sisters, and his friends. What greater place could we possibly hold?