My Best Friend

A series on Jesus final teachings before his betrayal.

John 15:12-17  This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.  13  There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

14  You are My friends if you do what I command.  15  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.  16  You didn't choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name.  17  This is My command: Love each other.

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Jesus told his disciples that he loves them just as much as God the Father loves God the Son. (John 15:9) The next thing that he tells them is that they are to love each other in the same manner even to the point of laying down your life for them.

That is a pretty drastic extreme that we probably won't need to ever do but we could all take a review of ourselves and see how we are doing at being a friend. Are we really good friends with the people in our lives?

There are a lot of examples of good friends in the Bible, there was David and Jonathon, Ruth and Naomi, but there were also some friends that are like Job's friends that didn't always get it right. We can all blow it as a friend but over-all a true friend is very beneficial to have, here is a list that I found in my study:

Good Friends:
Comfort and sympathy Support and encouragement               Shared joy and sorrow Loving rebuke Encouragement to do good Challenge Worshiping together Sharing possessions Praying for one another Forgiving each other	Job 2:11-13 1 Samuel 23:16-17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Romans 12:15 Proverbs 27:6,9; Ephesians 4:15 Romans 14:13; Hebrews 10:24 Proverbs 27:17 Psalms 55:13-14 Acts 11:29 James 5:16 Proverbs 17:9

We should learn from Jesus example, everyday he made new friends, he included anybody that was willing. Jesus didn't neglect or avoid different types of people like we do, he chose to make friends with the sinners and the scum, the very people that we tend to avoid. Jesus made it very clear in John 15:17, he tells us to love each other, he didn't give us any exceptions or fine print.

Sometimes I treat my friends a lot better than I treat God, too many times he is avoided or pushed to the back seat, I won't talk to him or take the time to hear what he has to say. God is my greatest friend and I should not take that too lightly; he deserves a lot better than I give him.

Thank you Lord for your love for all of us, help me to be a good friend so that people will see you in my life.