Friend of God.
John 15:4–5 (NASB)
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”
One of the goals of discipleship to Jesus is abiding—to remain in Him, to spend time with Him. Here’s the reality: you can’t be like someone you never spend time with.
In order to become all that God desires us to be, we must—not should—we must spend time with Him.
Let me be as clear as I can. The peace, the hope, and the joy you are looking for will not be found in experiences, vacations, money, or even in another person. All of those things are generally good. I hope you get the raise at work. I hope you find the home of your dreams. I hope you find the love of your life. I hope you go on that vacation.
But none of it will satisfy you apart from Jesus.
Why? Because you were made for Him.
It’s why we often feel unsatisfied after we’ve gotten what we wanted. It’s not enough. You were made with an insatiable desire, and the only one who can fill it is an infinite God.
Just a few verses later, Jesus says this:
John 15:15 (NASB)
“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
There’s this beautiful truth for those who choose to follow Jesus. You’re not labeled as slaves, but as friends.
Discipleship is not a Christian or a Jewish thing. It is a human thing. We all follow someone or something. We live in a world where it often feels like slavery, following a certain line of thinking.
Yet in making Jesus our Lord—our King—we find that He doesn’t call us slaves. He calls us friends.
When we choose to make Jesus Lord and follow Him, we’re not simply His disciples—we are His friends. You are a friend of God.
For a moment, let’s think about this term friend. I love what Strahan Coleman (Christian poet and songwriter) says about this in his book Thirsting:
“Friendship is altogether different than the student-teacher relationship. They share more than just work and ethics with one another; they share their lives. Friends can relax. They can be together, even when they’re not learning. In fact, friends are defined by spending their downtime together far more than their work.”
—Strahan Coleman, Thirsting
Meaning, Jesus wants a relationship that is even more personal than student-teacher. He desires intimacy with us.
Here’s what Coleman goes on to say:
“Friends waste time together; they laugh, open up, and share their hearts.”
—Strahan Coleman, Thirsting
You don’t have to tell me twice to make art. I love it. I would waste so much time doing it. I get lost making graphic design pieces. Hours can go by.
Or ask me what I love to do with my best friend—my wife. I love doing nothing. Maybe going to a coffee shop. Maybe watching a dumb rom-com. Or just sitting at the table, talking about how crazy one of our kids is.
Because we waste the most precious resource we have—time—with the ones we love.
So go and waste time with the God of heaven and earth. Go and splurge. Give your best minutes and hours to the King of the cosmos.
Here’s the crazy thing: the One who breathed you into existence wants to waste time with you too.
