friends vs FRIEND

“You are fortunate if you are insulted because of the name of Christ, for the Spirit of glory rests on you.” (1Peter 4:14) Yes, St. Peter affirms that suffering is good, hurt is joyful, pain is pleasure, but when it is for the name of Christ.  Undeniably we all have got hurt, suffering and pain, but we receive all these, most of the time, not for the name of Christ, but from our human relationships.  We get hurt in our human relationship for various reasons.  We may be sensitive or emotional but the deep hurt comes because we love the person so much as part of our own selves; and when there comes a misunderstanding and it cut’s deeper into our heart causing hurt.  Why should it affect us so much?  It is not new in the Biblical history.  Even king David has experienced such hurt by his friends, “If it were a rival insulting me, I could bear with him; if it were a foe in pursuit of me, I could hide from him.But it is you, an equal of mine, my bosom friend, my companion whose fellowship I enjoyed as we walked together in the house of God.” (Psalm 55:13-15)  As a result he thought to himself, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in men.” (Psalm 118:8)  In our relationship or friendship we think that we are the only one who love them and care for them more than anyone, or in other words we start loving them beyond or limits and boundaries.

Everyone has a private circle in which they don’t like others to enter.  There may be exceptionally few who allow very few others to enter into ‘that area’ of their life.  But most of us don’t want other to enter into ‘that area’ where we want to be alone by ourselves.  When we, taking for granted, think that we love and care for them more than others do, and try to enter into ‘that area’, thinking that we have a right; then there comes the problem or misunderstanding.  When they try to react a little, indirectly to show that they don’t like that, we get hurt.  ‘Oh I love him/her very much and care for him/her more than I do for myself; do I not have a right to say this or do that?...’ all those lamentations flow from our hearts.  WHEN YOU MAKE FRIENDSHIP TRY TO KNOW WHERE THEY WANT YOU TO BE, AND STAY THERE IN THAT LIMIT AND YOU WILL ENJOY THEIR FRIENDSHIP AND RESPECT.

Though all our human friendships or relationships have a limit or boundary beyond which you cannot go, there is a friendship, the friendship of Christ, which has no limit, no boundary, no condition and knows no end.  Because, he has nothing to hide from us; there is nothing private for him.  He gave up everything to make us his friend.  “There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends;” (John 15:13). He called us his friends, and gave his life for us to be his friends.  He alone is the one true friend, who will not desert us, hurt us, humiliate us in whatever condition we are, however we are.

We need human friendships or relationships, but all those friendships or relationships that do not lead us to Christ are not worth having it.  Whether pain or gain our friendship or relationship should lead to Christ, our true FRIEND.  If not please check it out, in having human relationships you may be in the right path, but heading in a wrong direction. “What does it profit you to gain the whole world while you destroy or damage yourself?” (Luke 9:25)  If we rephrase this, “WHAT DOES IT PROFIT YOU TO HAVE 1000s OF FRIENDS IN FACEBOOK (who may not love and care, but just to count and comment), WHILE YOU DESTROY OR DAMAGE THAT ONE TRUE FRIENDSHIP?”

Our human friendship or relationship will be true and genuine only when we have HIM as our FRIEND.

IS HE YOUR FRIEND?   

IF NOT MAKE HIM YOUR FIRST AND BEST FRIEND 

and feel the DIFFERENCE!

          Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you and praise you for calling me as your friend and giving yourself for me to make me as your friend.  Help me Jesus to love you more than anything else.  I accept you as my first and best friend.  Walk with me, through the darkest night and brightest day, be at my side, hold my hand and guide me on my way.  Give me good friends through whom I can cherish your divine friendship.  Amen.