You Are Jesus’s Friend
Are your friendships important to you?
Verse of the Day
‘I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.’
Today’s Devotional
Our friendships say a lot about who we are. Who are the people that you proudly associate with? My friends are important to me. I value the people in my life who share their life with me.
What I notice about this verse is that Jesus refers to the disciples as His friends based on the fact that He has told them about His life and purpose. We don’t disclose information about ourselves to just anyone. We might make small talk with a stranger or a new acquaintance, but we don’t generally spill our deepest thoughts and our life’s mission with a new friend. Sharing that kind of information requires time together and some shared experiences.
If Jesus tells the disciples that they are His friends, then I believe it is true for us as well. He has shared His whole story with us. He even had it written down so that we wouldn’t miss anything. He cares that much about our relationship with Him.
In my experience, true friendship is a two-way street. One person can’t be doing all of the sharing, serving, and loving. So that begs me to ask, “How good of a friend to Jesus am I?” Am I letting Him do all of the work in our relationship? Am I taking the time to share my life with Him, to make time to spend with Him, to ask Him how I can serve His other friends, to LISTEN to Him?
Part of your identity is that the Savior of the world calls you His friend. He’s proud to be your friend. Perhaps my identity in Christ would be more firm if I took the time to be a better friend to Jesus.
Think of a person in your life who is a really good friend to you. Now think about WHY this person is such a good friend. What do they do (and not do) that makes their friendship important to you. Then ask yourself how you can do (and not do) some of those same things in your relationship with Jesus. If you don’t know how, ask Him for help. He’s a good friend. He will help you.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How does it feel to know that Jesus calls you His friend?
How can you share your life, heart, and thoughts with Jesus today?
How can you make more time for Him?
How can you be a better listener in your relationship with Jesus?
How would you ask Him to be a better friend to you today?