Jesus As Our Friend part 4 - Loving and Serving Others

 How have you been? Have you learned a foreign language? Sal and I have shared the 4 words for love in Greek. Phileos is the term for best friends, also called “brotherly love.” Hence, Philadelphia is called the City of Brotherly Love. Even though their fans boo a lot. 😊

Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Siblings should be close. Some are really close even as kids; my cousins’ kids are like that. Part of that is how easygoing the people are. But, Jesus always seeks to help the best possible way.

A South African contact with Global Media Outreach named Drea last month asked how to help the poor in her city. I asked what skills she could teach. Sewing or quilting came to mind. I didn’t know why, but as she said, we both have a friend who knew. She’d learned how to sew a few years ago. Friends in her church make money making things. So, she and some others in her church will get the people material so they can start making and selling things. I said I’d mention this in my devotionals to you. It’s so cool how we can be testimonies and help each other in different parts of the world.

This is a great example of how friends share about each other. Drea knew right away she could boast of what God had done. We do the same with friends our age. When Sander and I talk my parents enjoy hearing what’s new with him. Not everyone enjoys such things, but someone will, even if it’s the Lord you tell. The great thing is, He’ll even help when we listen to the Spirit guiding us when we have questions about how to help.

 It doesn’t always have to be big things. Sharing lighthearted fun and laughing together is a joy. It helps us remember to be humble. We’re not perfect, but we’re in this crazy thing called life together. Remember how that one kid called the wrong number from France because he got the wrong country code? That high school or college kid laughed with me when I said his friends would tease him about calling a whole other country while they were on their trip. He knew what I knew. His friends and he would have fun with it. He’d likely come up with funny lines about it. If the Lord delays enough, he might tell his kids or grandkids about it.

There’s something even more important. I’ve said friends don’t put each other down. But, they also shouldn’t act superior. Jesus is, was, and always will be God. Yes, He had to straighten His disciples out a bit, but He humbled Himself as a servant. He rebukes Peter a few times, like Courtney’s friend may correct her if Courtney gets too mad at herself or thinks of quitting. But, it’s done in a spirit of love and compassion. The friend isn’t saying she could do better when she does this. Rather, the friend is telling her she knows she made a mistake before but now she can get through it with God’s help. Jesus may have been frustrated, but He never stopped loving His disciples. And, He never stops loving us.

 If Jesus, being God, was willing to be a servant, we should do be that way even more. We shouldn’t see any task as beneath us. That especially includes making friends with those who aren’t like us. We should always be humble. Part of that is knowing we aren’t perfect. When we’re willing to laugh at ourselves, it’s easier to have fun with others. 

Being humble doesn’t mean putting yourself down. It just means building others up. You know you don’t have to be top dog. Remember, when Jesus said one of His disciples would betray Him, each looked within and asked, “Is it I?” (Even Peter was willing to ask.)