Isaiah 41:8
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
Abraham has always been known as the friend of God, but it is interesting that he never set out to be God’s friend, but he set out to serve the LORD. Abraham became God’s friend because he served Him and was not afraid to be separated from everyone else to be with the LORD.
I am afraid that we make too much of trying to get friends. The focus to find friends will always find the wrong friends, but the focus on serving God and others will allow you to discover friends of a lifetime. Friendship is more of a result than it is a search. Too many seek to have friends instead of seeking to be a friend. You will find if you don't seek to have friends, but seek to be a friend is when you discover true friends. Let me share the pattern that it takes to be a friend.
First, live your life to be a servant to serve God and others. Notice that the first thing it says about Abraham was that he was God’s servant. Abraham sought one thing: he sought to serve God. Life is more fulfilling when you seek to serve others than to have a self-serving mindset to find friends. Most consider a friend someone who does them good when true friendship is about what you can do for others. You will never find true friends until you focus on serving others.
Second, you must serve with others if you want to have friends. One of the greatest keys to friendship is getting busy serving God, and you will discover many friends around you. The greatest friendships of life are discovered in the yoke of service, the yoke of serving God. When you seek friends, you will go to the wrong places and find the wrong friends, but when you seek to serve God, you discover likeminded people who have the same focus as you, and friendships are kindled as you serve in the yoke. You will be a lonely person if you seek friends; however, you will find many friends when you get in the yoke with others to serve God, and as you serve God, you discover many good friends.
Third, you must be separated to discover friends. You will notice that Abraham was not afraid to be identified with God as his chosen. Abraham separated himself to be God’s, and that resulted in friendship. Casual friendships are kindled in the yoke of service for God; treasured friendships are found in the battles when you see who is still beside you when others turn on you. I would not give you much for those people who leave in the battles; they were never true friends. True friends will never be afraid to identify with you, even when you go through battles. The true friends are those who are still standing with you when everyone else leaves.
My friend, stop seeking to be a friend of God; rather, seek to serve with Him in His yoke. When it is not popular to identify with God, stay in the yoke, and you will become His friend. The friends of God are those who sought to serve Him and stuck with Him through thick and thin.
Likewise, a marriage that seeks to serve each other seeks to serve with each other and sticks with each other through hard times is a marriage that discovers their spouse as the greatest friend of a lifetime. This principle of friendship can be applied to the believer as well. Get busy serving others, serve with others, and be loyal to your friends; these actions will result in the great discovery of treasured friendships.
Comments