Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  John 15:13-16

We all want to have friends.  We need friends because God has created us for relationships. We want to get to know people and we want to be known by people.  It’s special when someone remembers you and calls you by name.  There’s a building of relationship present.

However, if you had a friend who called or dropped by your house only when they wanted something, but who never reached out to show concern or to see if you needed help, it’s likely that the friendship wouldn’t last long.  Why?  Because there’s no intimacy there…no true relationship.  A relationship needs to be reciprocal.

We’ve probably all been in that type of situation at one time or another and had a hard time understanding such selfishness.  It’s far too easy, perhaps common, for us to treat God the same way.  Sadly, many Christians only reach out to Him in prayer when they are in need of something, or when things are a mess.  

Life in Christ, however, isn’t just about getting our needs met.  It’s about experiencing a personal relationship with the Lord. As Proverbs 18:24 puts it: There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  That’s Jesus.

Jesus told His disciples they were no longer servants but friends in John 15:14-15, and that same promise is true for us today. We can speak to our closest friend and companion – God Himself – at any time and for any reason.  He longs to hear from His children and to be approached as the loving Father He is.