Having Jesus as a friend … isn’t that a lovely thought? Yet, so many of us live life with Jesus as our commander, our master, our judge and our Savior. Very seldom do we laugh with God. Even less often do we sit with him as though he were our friend. The beautiful news is that the Almighty God who gives and takes away, who disciplines out of love and who is sovereign over all things, also calls us friend.

Our Greatest Ally

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. 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 15:12-15

Jesus Christ makes it simple for us; we do as He commands out of obedience and love, and He gathers our souls and call us friends. That’s what friends do, it’s what friends embody. A friend shares, gives, lends, loves, listens and helps. Jesus Christ is our prime example of a friend.

A Friend To All

Imagine being one of the apostles who walked with Jesus, seeing his footprints in the soil, hearing his voice when he prayed and talked. It’s astounding that the Messiah, the King of Kings, desired even the lowest of men to be friends with him. Even Paul, who had blasphemed and imprisoned those who believed in Christ, eventually would look into the eyes of Jesus and be called a friend by him. It’s something only our Father can orchestrate.

“One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.”  —Proverbs 22:11

Powerful Love

The beauty of having Jesus a friend is that such a powerful, mighty and immaculate God would desire for us to communicate with him like a confidant, laugh with Him when something happens in our lives that only He could have done. An earthly friend is different from having Jesus as a friend, though; we obviously don’t worship our earthly friends, but what a delight it is to know that God sees us as a friend as well as a beloved daughter or son.

With Jesus as friend, you’re simply never alone. You are always cared for, tended to, desired, wanted, fought for and being rooted for. God roots for you every day; He delights when you’re joyous. He’s at peace for you when you are at peace with life. He delights when you trust your circumstances, all of it, into His hands.

“And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’—and he was called a friend of God.”  —James 2:23

Jesus is a miraculous friend. A worthy friend. A glorious friend. He is reliable, trustworthy, faithful and able to work in your life in ways you couldn’t even imagine yourself. Having Jesus as a friend is one of the greatest gifts we can actually live out, and open daily.

You may also be interested in Learning To Let Go & Let God