To be called ‘friend’ is a real honour, because
a good friend can be hard to find. We have all known people who called themselves
our friends, but were not. They were there as along as things were going well,
but when the going got tough, they got going! It is rare to find someone we can
truly trust, even in hard times. How are you
doing in terms of having, and being, a friend?
We
Need a Friend
We all need a friend. We come into this
world alone, and we go out of it alone. During the time we spend here, we can
still be very much alone. People can feel lonely even in a crowded city,
because loneliness has little to do with whether people are around you.
Loneliness is the isolation we feel when we have no meaningful relationships
with people. We need people who love and care about us. We need people who are
willing to become involved in our lives and to allow us to become involved in
theirs.
God is aware of our need for companionship.
In the Garden of Eden, He saw that it was not good for the man to be
alone, so God gave Adam a woman to be his companion and compliment. God
has given us families because of our need for others. God has also given us
friends. He has provided for our loneliness in several ways because He knows
that all of us need companionship.
We
Need a Good Friend
We don’t just need a friend; we need a good
friend. What does it mean to be a good friend? The Bible has much to say about
friendship. In Proverbs it says, ‘A friend loves at all times and a
brother is born for adversity’(Proverbs
Another characteristic of a good friend is
that they support us and stand by us. Our text says that a friend loves at
all times. We need this kind of support, especially when others forsake
us. A good friend must be willing to love you even when you are a little
unlovable; even when times are rough. Another verse in Proverbs says, ‘But
there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother’ (Proverbs
Thirdly, a friend is someone who brings
out the best in us. In Proverbs 27:17, it says, ‘As iron sharpens
iron, so one man sharpens another.’Henry Ford said, ‘My best friend is
the one who brings out the best in me.’ A good friend does not seek to tear you
down, he seeks to build you up. A good friend brings out the best in us.
Many
of us are blessed with at least one good friend. Some of us are fortunate
enough to have many. But all of us have a friend we may be overlooking. This
friend is Jesus. We have already looked at the verse in Proverbs which says there
is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. This verse describes our
Lord Jesus Christ. He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Have you ever thought of Jesus as your
friend? Perhaps not. He is our Saviour. He is our Lord. He is the eternal God
who came to earth as a man. He is the Son of God who offered Himself as a
sacrifice on the cross for our sins. He died and was buried. He rose from the
dead, proving that He is the Son of God. He then ascended into heaven and took
His place on the throne. He is our living, reigning Lord, but our friend?
Can this awesome Lord be our friend? Jesus
Himself tells us that He is our friend. Here is what He said, ‘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
Do
you have a friend like that?
If there was ever someone who qualified to
be a friend, it is Jesus. He possesses all of the characteristics of a good
friend that we have mentioned already. He knows us and loves us. How much does
he love us? Let me share his own words from John 15:13, ‘Greater love has
no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.’
Jesus loved us enough to give Himself as a
sacrifice on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He literally laid down His
life for us. Jesus did not just talk about His love; He proved it. And, He did
this knowing all that there was to know about each one of us. He knew what your
sins would be. He knew what your problems would be. He knew about your failures
and your frustrations. There is no situation or circumstance in your life that
Jesus was not already aware of before He went to the cross. But He went anyway,
not because we deserved it, but because we needed it. We need forgiveness and
so Jesus died so that our sins may be forgiven. Do you have a friend like that?
Let me plead with you to come to Him today. Make Him your friend. In Him
you can experience eternal, abundant life. He has already proved Himself to be the
friend of sinners by laying down His life for them. He has made the first move.
How will you respond?