Friendships

Want a happy moment for a quick second? Think about those one or two people who have shown you what true friendship is really like. If they are still here on this earth with you, praise God. You are one of the lucky ones to know and still hold a genuine friendship.

What about that person makes you know that you have a good friend in them? Is it the listening without judgment, the support, the care? Or is it the action behind all of it? I have been blessed to have had some significant, real friendships in my life. My first best friend was my sister. I have had many great friends with a few that I reserve the designation “best” for. I read somewhere that not everyone can be your best friend…friendships just aren’t always meant to be that way. I do believe that. I am grateful for all my friends – from good to best.

What do you think it was like for Jesus to make friends? He probably had fear of telling people who he was, don’t you think? You don’t necessarily just go around saying, “Hey/Yo my name is Jesus. I was born of a virgin and am the Son of God. Want to play?” I imagine at recess there were whispers of that one kid who is “perfect” and it makes other people so mad. I hope Jesus had support amongst his peers. We just don’t know, but we do know He came out of childhood with His tremendous love for people in tact. Maybe He hated talking to people when He was younger. Maybe His parents couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Whatever His “thing” was I am sure it helped people identify Him quickly…maybe He snorted when he laughed. In the end He obviously had disciples that were his friends. I kind of always looked at that like a mentoring relationship…where He led these men. But they truly were family. Jesus was human. He needed love and support and encouragement and maybe even someone to say, “hey, you were kind of a jerk back there.” If Jesus had 12 “best” friends, I imagine it was a lot to keep track of. There was probably drama in the group every once in a while. Jesus probably wondered why they couldn’t all just get along all the time. Like many friends though, the drama or quirks each person has is still worth it. The book of Ecclesiastes, which I like to refer to as the “recclesiality check,” talks about the importance of friendship.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

This passage is under a heading called “Advantages of Companionship.” How many of our friends have helped us through times where we felt people or circumstances in our lives were unfair, uncalled for, or unnecessary. Your friends are the companions who give you your advantage. They helped you shake off negativity. If you were alone, you might have wallowed in sadness. When you are with one friend, you might be less lonely, but it would be easy to shrug off their niceties. When you have three friends (or a group) suddenly your arguments against yourself don’t have nearly as much of a voice. Friends are important. Friends in Christ are invaluable. The writer of Ecclesiastes, thought to be King Solomon, was definitely a wise person. Although it is not always the most optimistic sounding book to read, it truly is full of wisdom. If it is wise to have friends, I think it would also be quite wise to appreciate and praise God for them.

I don’t necessarily have anything revolutionary to say as I close this, but I feel today I was led to just honor my close friends whom I love and miss very much, and encourage those of you who have the incredible opportunity to be in the presence of your friends not to take advantage of that time. Friends are gifts, and they give you strength.