Ten Things to Be Thankful For, Day 3: Friends
“You’re never too old to do goofy stuff” (Ward Cleaver, from Leave it to Beaver).
“Friend” is a word not to be taken lightly. It is a friendly word that evokes good feelings on the surface and can be as disarming as a firm handshake. When a stranger calls you “friend,” it seems to create an instant bond that means, “I mean you no harm.” It can also mean, “I want to sell you something,” but that’s being cynical. Facebook has cheapened the word “friend” by making the concept as thin as the icing on a Little Debbie cupcake.
My Facebook account has no information about me whatsoever (including no picture, for obvious reasons). And yet, I get “friend” requests from people whose names I cannot pronounce, no less recognize. I do recognize that, judging by most social media outlets, “friends” consist of people who care about what you ate at Wendy’s, and how many Goobers your two-year-old can stick up his nose.
I love God’s description: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). I admit, I love the picture of Odie harnessed to Garfield’s skateboard, where Garfield, in wide-eyed devious pleasure, says, “Use your friends wisely!” Another wag who influenced my philosophy in my immature days opined, “If you can’t make fun of your friends, who can you make fun of?” But these are kiddie-pool depictions of true friendship.
The Bible’s most comprehensive story of friendship is that of David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18 – 20). Their souls were knit together; they faced common enemies; they served the same God; they harbored neither jealousy nor competition between them, only mutual concern; and they were willing to risk loss for each other’s welfare. Even after Jonathan’s death, David honored his memory and descendants (2 Samuel 9). There was no thought of “unfriending.”
Some thoughts about friends:
- Friends don’t lead friends into trouble.
- Friends don’t need to ask what you want for your birthday; and they even surprise you when it’s not a holiday.
- Friends will stick with you when you’re acting like a jerk; and they will let you know when you’re acting like a jerk (Proverbs 27:6).
- Friends are willing to do goofy stuff with you and not be embarrassed.
- Friends are hand-picked: You can’t pick most of the people you are surrounded by, but you can pick your friends.
A true friend is better to have than a close relative (Proverbs 18:24; 27:10). It’s the bond of love and genuine concern that counts. Blood may be thicker than water, but love is thicker than blood.
God wants to be friends with sinful mortals who have absolutely nothing to offer Him. Artful Abraham and murdering Moses were God’s friends (Exodus 33:11; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23). Jesus was a friend to those whom the self-righteous would not touch (Matthew 11:19). He calls his followers “friends,” and shares his secrets with them (John 15:13 – 15). He sacrificed his life to make his enemies his friends (Romans 5:8 – 10).
God issues a friend request to every man and woman: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” (Isaiah 45:22). He promises never to unfriend those who accept his invitation: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37).
His interest in you is genuine, and all he wants in return is your obedient love: “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37 – 39). Wanna be friends?
Alan Allegra