Say what you will about Facebook but I’m a huge fan! I was reluctant to sign up but my younger sisters finally convinced me that it was a good idea. I have had so much fun getting in touch with people from high school and college that I’d lost touch with for a variety of reasons. A teenager from church said these people couldn’t have been that important to me if I didn’t stay in touch but I think he’ll understand better once he actually loses touch one day.
I was reminded just this morning of how exciting it is to hear from an old friend. There is a friend of mine who I’ve searched for over the years but could never find. Given his lifestyle in college and my propensity to worry, I figured maybe he’d died! While I was on Facebook last night I found his sister and sent her a note. She gave me his information and I’m so excited to get in touch.
This was a friend who lived a life completely foreign to me yet called me a friend. He came from money, always dressed in Ralph Lauren clothes and was brilliant! In fact, he tutored me in several of my computer classes which I would have failed without his help. As it turns out he worked in the computer field until he was 30 and then decided to become a doctor. This didn’t surprise me at all because he was always successful at whatever he put his mind to.
The opportunities we have for communication are amazing! Not only do we have the old fashioned telephone and letter but now we have email, internet and online communications such as Skype so that you can even see the person virtually anywhere in the world with a webcam. I think part of our problem today is not a lack of means to communicate but getting overwhelmed with what is available to us today. It is so easy to be distracted which makes a good thing into something we are enslaved to (but that’s another Musing).
As I mentioned last week, I started memorizing the book of Philippians (I’m up to verse 10!). It dawned on me that this entire “book” is actually a letter from Paul to the church in Philippi. Paul begins the letter with a greeting and blessing but then goes on to encourage and challenge the believers in Philippi at the time. It is also a great encouragement to us. The recipients of this letter were Paul’s friends. In verse 7 he tells them that he “holds them in his heart” and in verse 8 he says that he yearns for them with the affection of Christ Jesus. Wouldn’t you love to receive a letter that started this way?
More importantly than having a friend like Paul, as believers we need to remember who else called us His friend. Jesus Christ Himself!
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. 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. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:12-17 (NIV)
Notice that there are some requirements for this friendship. We are to do what Jesus commands. What was the command? Love each other as I have loved you. Really? Is that even possible? Jesus literally died to save us. That’s how much He loves you! Am I willing to die for someone else? While Jesus may literally ask me to die for Him some day, most of us are asked to die to ourselves….every day….for the sake of others. That means putting others before ourselves. This is so contrary to our human nature, isn’t it? Our number one goal is usually looking out for “Number One”. After all, [we say] who else is going to?
My challenge to you (and me) this week is to look for ways to be a friend to Jesus by being a friend to others. While there is nothing we can do to earn Jesus’ friendship (because it is a gift), He commands us to love one another as He loved us.
Lord God, we can do nothing apart from You. Give us the strength and courage to love someone this week as You love them. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Have a great day!