John 15:14 – You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

Jesus considers you His friend. That is just astounding. You may be selfish, inconsistent, and unstable. But the Lord looks directly at you and He calls you His friend. This means that He does not love you because He has to, but because He chooses to Love you. He really and truly loves you. He gets a wonderful kick out of you. You and I are a delight to His heart. We put a smile to His face. Just amazing! Therefore, because you are His friend, you should want to do whatever He asks of you. Although you are His friend, always remember, He is your Lord and Savior. If you say “He is my friend,” well then you are bringing Jesus down to your level and that is not right. You are His friend, yet you are to obediently submit to His authority and to His commands for you. That is a big difference. Jesus was thinking of His coming death on the cross, for He was about to lay down His life for His friends, an act of sacrifice which they were not yet capable of appreciating. The change of relationship from servants to friends is significant because servants blindly obey, whereas friends are taken into a loving relationship.

Challenge:

Are you God’s friend? You are if you faithfully follow His instructions. Obedience to Christ should come relatively easy because He always wants what is going to be best for you and most beneficial for your future. Jesus will never ask you to do something that will harm you or hurt you in any way. You must always trust that God will lead you in the proper way and to the proper destination. Even in the times of uncertainty and confusion on your part, you can count on Him to show you to safety. Challenge yourself this week to follow the instructions that the Lord has give to you personally. Certainly begin by following the written Word of God and the commands that are clearly presented within the scriptures. But also be sensitive to the Spirit as He guides you throughout the day. Perhaps He will ask you to pray for your friend who is struggling in their marriage. He may want you to ask a co-worker how you can help them during this holiday season. You see, you are His friend if you do what He asks you to do. No matter what it is He asks of you, trust that He knows what you and what someone else needs at any given moment. God loves you so much that He wants you to be involved in what He is trying to do in people’s lives. This week be obedient and do everything He asks of you. God bless you.