Greater Love

I've been blessed with a lot of friends throughout my life. I was never the loner kid, or an outcast. I also never really tried to get in with the "popular" kids in school; I didn't have to. I always seemed to have a solid circle of friends, from elementary school through high school, in college, at various jobs. It was something I sort of took for granted. Looking back, I think the few enemies I had growing up were almost forced - like a part of me was almost bored with getting along with everybody.

Despite having all of this experience with friends, and considering myself a pretty good friend, I've recently come across new revelations of what friendship can really be. It's not hard to pinpoint the reason for this. For the first time in my life, I'm forming friendships that are based in Christ. This is not just because I'm meeting people through church. It's more than that - a foundation of living like Jesus, of walking with God, of prayer and support, that takes a friendship and elevates it to a level that Jesus intended.

This attitude is firstly reflected in the people I'm friends with. They're truly awesome people. Not that my other friends aren't - I've made some really great friends over the years, as noted before. But there's something about a personal relationship with God that develops a caring spirit and selflessness that really enables someone to take the idea of friendship to a deeper level. This also applies to me. I've done my best to be a good  friend in the past, but as my relationship with Jesus and dependence on God increases, so too does my joy in lifting my friends up, being there to support them, wanting to do whatever I can to help them succeed. The best part about it is, there's no worry about things being one-sided - when everyone involved is striving to be Christlike, things tend to work out for the best. Not that everything will always be perfect, but, ultimately, we truly care for each other.

John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." I interpret this verse as something more than just martyrdom for the public community as a whole. In this chapter, Jesus is talking about the trials the disciples will face together. As they go through hardships, there will come a time in which they will be given the opportunity to die for one another, their friends in Christ, and for Jesus Himself. I think that this sentiment goes beyond the things one would do for just anyone - there's a special kind of joy in giving to a friend, particularly a fellow follower of Jesus.

There is a spirit of sacrifice in true friendship. We probably won't be asked to die for one another, but there are acts of selflessness that are most likely to surface between people who model their lives after Jesus. Sacrifices in time, money, personal feelings, etc. are often called for in order to lift our friends up, whether it's a small favor or giving up something extremely important. I feel blessed to be around people who would do that for me, and to whom I can freely give without worrying about burning out in a one-sided relationship.

In conclusion, my friends are awesome and I love them greatly. I'm so thankful to God for leading me to a place where I could meet such incredible people.