You Got a Friend in me.
Good day to you,
Positive and loving friendships were found to be the key ingredient to overall happiness in life according to an 85-year-long study at Harvard. In this research they found that these friendships have many of following components: Safety and security, learning and growth, emotional closeness and confiding, affirmation and shared experiences, help in practical or physical ways, fun and relaxation.
Jesus said the following to his disciples and followers: “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.” (John 15:15)
Isn’t it interesting that this scripture covers many of these components found in the survey for healthy and significant friendships. Not only does Jesus say we are no longer slaves, but we are in a friendship dynamic that has imbedded values that meet the needs we each innately carry.
Let’s look into this passage deeper and discover these components. Right at the start He says we are friends because he “confides” in us. It’s mind boggling and humbling that he would invest in us his heart and values, to draw us close and reveal, take us into confidence and trust us. Jesus then relates 3 more major “friendship” components in this statement: “I have told you everything the Father told me.” We see a path of “safety and security” as he imparts the insights from the Father to the Son, and then to the disciple. Then there is “learning and growth,” as we are learning directly from him. Then He unpacks “shared experiences” in that what he has learned, he will relate to us. Last but not least is the connection that we are “His” friends, that he initiated and pursues us. As his friends, we are brought into “emotional closeness” and community. Just in this one verse we see 4 of the 6 components of meaningful friendship. This is not a sloppy buddy-buddy relationship. This is a dynamic, powerful and meaningful friendship of honesty, faith and commitment, which provides the happiness and meaning we all seek and desire. What a friend we have in Jesus.
Q: Who has modeled this kind of friendship with Christ in your life?
Q: What shared experience do you have with Jesus as you have walked and learned from him?