God Wants Our Friendship

A Desire for a Divine Friendship

What do you want? What do you really want? Way down deep in the crevices of your heart what is your deepest longing? Maybe you don’t want to look that far? Who knows what will bubble up? Our fears keep us in the shadows and we settle for walking under the human overcast.

But the Spirit murmurs that the hole in our hearts can only be filled up with the intimacy and consoling presence of our loving Abba. (To me it makes sense that the creature can only be at peace when it rests in the Creator’s loving arms).

Jesus proffers a way forward—make me your bridge to the Creator and by our friendship we will experience the Creator’s tender caress. And over time the hole in your heart will be healed.

William Barry searches out this idea when he references Jesus’s words to his disciples, “I no longer call you servants, I call you friends” (John 15:15):

At the last supper Jesus calls his disciples friends because he has made known to them everything he has heard from the Father. There is no reason to restrict Jesus’ desire for friendship to these few disciples. Down the centuries Christians have read these words and believed and felt that they were directed to them. God wants our friendship. (William Barry)

God wants our friendship! What a beautiful truth! The Universe Maker reserves a special place at the table with your name on it. Our invitation is to become a chooser, not a non-chooser. To step out in friendship with Jesus and then rest in the loving arms of our Divine Shepherd.