How Healthy Friendships Can Inform Our Relationship With God
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And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. - James 2:23
My friendships that have endured over time and distance are a great source of strength to me. I think of one friend who often sends postcards and notes when I need them most. They make me feel seen. Another friend - my first friend in the world and the one I consider most like a sister – goes to great effort to include me in the things going on in her life by frequently texting photos and little updates. This makes me feel included and loved. I can think of a few more dear friends with whom I’m not in touch often, but no matter how long it’s been, we can pick right up where we left off. That’s a rare and precious gift. And if I need prayer, I know who to text, and they will immediately start interceding for me.
When I in turn reciprocate effort and care in these friendships, they continue to grow and remain strong. We share encouragement, trust, forgiveness, honesty, love, and loyalty. Doesn’t this sound a lot like what our heavenly Father offers us? In many ways, healthy friendships can provide valuable context for understanding aspects of a healthy relationship with God.
It can be daunting to think that we can have a personal relationship with the God of everything! However, when we break it down and think about the attributes we can understand, we begin to relate to Him more tangibly. Yes, He is our Father and our Savior, and that of course means we are in no way on equal footing with Him, but He is also our friend, and this is an important aspect of His relational covenant with us. The Bible provides examples of this in both the Old and New Testaments, such as when James recounts in 2:23 how Abraham was a friend of God (2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8 back this up). Moses also had a friendship aspect to his relationship with God, as noted in Exodus 33:11. And what about the fact that in the New Testament we see Jesus laying down His life for us (there is no greater act of friendship!) to pave the way for all to have the opportunity to be a friend of God. It’s absolutely amazing.
If you’re struggling with how to relate to God, I invite you to explore the friendship aspect of the relationship. Use your own healthy friendships as a blueprint to get started. Simply talk to Him like you would a friend. You might be surprised how relatable He can be!
Questions for Reflection:
1. Do you consider God to be your friend? If so, describe what this means to you. If not, why not?
2. Do you agree that healthy friendships can provide context for understanding aspects of a healthy relationship with God? Why or why not?
