Who's Your Friend?

When I was in grade school, I had two friends, Pamela and Robin. I was in an enviable position that they both wanted to spend time with me, and would contend with each other for my attention. To be honest, Pamela was more fun to be with, but she was also more unpredictable. Looking back, I realize that Robin was really the more sincere and true friend, but I often took her for granted, and only turned to my friendship with her when Pamela was not around.

I am sorry to say that I often mistreated Robin, making fun of her when in Pamela’s company, embarrassed by Robin’s quiet simpleness, when she just wanted to be included in whatever I was doing. They say that three’s a crowd, but I knew that what I was doing was wrong.

For some reason, it just didn’t work for me to be friends with both Pamela and Robin at the same time. I wanted Pamela to like me, and when she didn’t want Robin around, I often went along with excluding Robin. In my childish mind, I wanted both friends, but saw no easy way to be friends with both of them.

What does it mean to be a friend? It means that you do whatever you can to make someone like you, and that includes trying to please that person. There is an exclusivity to true friendship, much like marriage. It is interesting that James calls the people “adulterous” in their choice of friendship with the world, because God is a jealous husband who does not tolerate other lovers.

Being friends with the world means that I can’t be friends with God. In fact, when I choose the world for my friend, I actually make an enemy of God, who is jealous in his longing for my friendship with him. It actually is impossible to be friends with both the world and God.

So what does it mean to be God’s friend? Ultimately, it means that the world will hate me, and that is hard to accept! I want to be a likeable person, so it’s hard to accept the fact that when I choose to be God’s friend, I cannot also be friends with the world. I have to resist the appeal of what the world has to offer me, however exciting it might seem.

But, like Robin, God is really my true friend, and actually cares for me more than I will ever know! He quietly waits for me to realize that I really want to spend time with him, when all is said and done!

Father God, please help me to choose you over what the world wants to offer me today. Remind me of how jealous you are for my love and attention and that you are my true friend and lover of my soul. Amen.

Throughout this Day: Who is your true friend? Do you spend more time with God, or with the world? You can’t have both! Ask God to show you how he feels about you right now, and if there are ways that the world’s friendship is pulling you away from God’s love.