Be Someone's Friend

Excerpt from email message from Thomas Johnston, Sr. Pastor, St. Peter's Church

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Each of us has a list of acquaintances, colleagues, and folks we generally hang out with.  These relationships, however, rarely move beyond the surface appearances and generalities of life.  And then someone enters your life who isn’t looking for someone to use, is available enough to explore what is really going on in your life, is secure enough not to use that information for their own gain, and then becomes an encourager and advocate for all that is good, noble, and life-giving within you.  A friend.

It is the friend in life who will help orient you when all around you is disoriented.  It is the friend in life who will love you for who you are and not for what you will do for them.  It is the friend in life who will encourage you to persevere.  It is the friend in life who will pray with you, laugh with you, weep with you and when necessary give you a kick in the tail to get you going again.

Jesus calls us his friends and he gives us the power to be friends to others (John 15:12-17).  The Apostle Paul says that you and I will never rise above the expectations and standards of our closest friends – bad company corrupts good character, intentions, and plans (1 Corinthians 15:33).  I believe Paul is right and that Jesus is pointing us to something that will be defining for our lives.

Friendship is often left off the list of what people think of as being spiritual.  Yet it is through a friendship with Jesus that our lives are changed into something holy.  It is through a friendship with Jesus that we are able to persevere, finish well, and have a level of peace and joy in the midst of it all.  And then it is Jesus who says to you: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you”, basically: Go and be someone’s friend.

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