Personal Friends

John 15:15 (NIV®)
“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.”

Someone gave me a little plaque that says, “Jesus loves you, but I’m His favorite.” We smile at that, but all of us need to hang that saying in our hearts and minds. We often think of Jesus-followers as a group, but we come to Him as individuals, one at a time. The Jesus-story is a personal story, and we are His personal friends. The notion of friendship has been reshaped by social media to include people we don’t even know. A friend of a friend clicks a mouse—you do, too, and you’re friends! This is not what Jesus is talking about. We are more to Jesus than a distant acquaintance or a friend of a friend. The friendship He desires with us is one of love, intimacy, knowledge, trust, and commitment. Jesus knows the holiness of His Father and how far we fall from that standard—yet, He still desires a deep and personal relationship with us.

THINK ABOUT IT
Friendship with Jesus isn’t a group initiative or a collective effort—it’s a personal bond and attachment. Have you made your relationship with Jesus uniquely your own?

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You that the cross opens the door for me to become Jesus’ friend—help me to be a good friend to Him. Jesus, I want to respond to You with full commitment and trust, with a heart open to the friendship You desire. In Your name, amen.