God Speaking

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)

This week we had wind up meetings of the two Bible Study groups that meet in our home. The special times we have together throughout the year can hardly be described in the sterile term, “meeting”. When we get together the atmosphere first of all is filled with love, wrapped in laughter and sprinkled with tears. Years of sharing our lives with each other has changed our relationship from just friends to being loved ones. We are so comfortable with each other that laughter erupts frequently. We all know intimately, the joys and heartaches of every member. We know of the pain that hides behind brave smiles. We have shed tears together over loss of loved ones. We have also shed tears together as we come before the Lord and seek healing/ help for broken relationships/ asking the Lord for guidance for our children our grandchildren/ all the worries that seem to beset all of us. The one overriding factor that keeps us all together in such a powerful way, is our love for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the reason we are able to love one another in this way. He binds us together. He is the best friend we will ever have and this is how he thinks of us; his friends

Jesus invites us into a personal walk with him when he calls us “friend” He welcomes us into an intimate relationship where we can share love, laughter and tears with him.

“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 15:14)

This relationship is the safest we will ever embark upon. There is no need to be careful not to offend. No need to pretend that we are somebody different. No need to apologize for who we are/ our background/ our status in the community etc., but with complete confidence we can relax in the knowledge that when we accept Jesus’ offer of friendship, this is one friendship that will last forever.

What we can also expect to happen, and we have seen this in our groups, is that when we take seriously our friendship with Jesus, our own walk with others becomes so much easier. There is a softening in our approach to those who become our friends. We are less judgmental. We become more forgiving. We are more compassionate when friends confess their failures, we are more ready to weep with those who are drowning in sorrow.

“A time to weep and a time laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

We stop taking ourselves too seriously. We learn to laugh more. God has given us this beautiful gift, like exercise, that researchers have found releases endorphins. Laughter has also been accredited with relieving pain. Laughter has also been known to reduce anxiety. Our groups have learnt that laughing together has bound us more securely in love. The psalmists knew the great joy laughter can bring

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:2)

So let us embrace our friends with love, laughter and a sprinkling of tears as we learn true friendship through being friends with the Lord Jesus Christ.