The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Ex. 33:9
I have had many roles to play in the upbringing of my three children, from diaper-changer, to play-mate, to provider, to teacher and encourager. My children have, and continue to bring forth many facets of who I am to them. But my role in their lives these days (other than being the fount of way too much unsolicited advice J) has been mostly reduced to one simple facet—I feel more like a friend to them than a parent.
We see something similar in the unique relationship that our Father has had with individuals throughout Scripture—people like Moses to whom the Lord spoke “face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” Abraham as well is referred to as God’s friend (Isa. 41:8). It is a relationship that the Lord seeks with each one of us as well. What the prophet Samuel says of David applies to everyone: “The Lord has sought for Himself a man (or woman) after His own heart” (1Sam 13:14). The invitation to be God’s friend should be the desire and hope of every Christian. But what exactly does this mean, and how are we to grow in this?
Friendship is the fruit of a shared life. When you first meet someone there is no telling whether this relationship will grow or not. Sometimes we might wish to pursue a friendship with someone but it never amounts to more than a casual acquaintance. With other people, just the fact of sharing a church, a workspace or a neighbourhood is enough to foster a recurring familiarity that breeds a lasting friendship, one that often continues long after we have changed churches, jobs or locations. What is it that has made these relationships different from our more casual ones? What are the affinities that have sustained our desire to go “deeper and longer” with these people? How have the simple facts of proximity and repeated occasions for interaction contributed to the likelihood of a friendship forming? And how do all these factors also encourage our growing friendship with God?
A friend is someone who knows you and your story well. They have shared some deep experiences of life with you. A friend is also someone you feel comfortable opening yourself up to. The disclosure of our lives and the trust that is implied in sharing such details is the foundation of any true friendship. So it is with God’s friendship with us. As Jesus says in John 15:15,
- 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.
Can we also say the same thing to Jesus—that “I call You my Friend, because I make everything known to You?”
To “know and be known” by others is one of our deepest psychological needs. According to Jesus, it is also one of the most important elements in our relationship with God. The simple fact that you and the Lord know each other well and that you share all things with each other is what constitutes the difference between being a servant or a friend of Jesus.
Rob Des Cotes
Imago Dei Christian Communities
FOR GROUP DISCUSSION:
- In what ways do you presently know God as a friend? In what ways do you feel more like a servant, or like a child with a parent in this relationship?
- What does it mean for you to be someone “after God’s own heart?” What does that inspire in you?
- Think of a close friend you have today and try to remember when you first met this person, not knowing at the time that they would become the friend they are to you today. How did this relationship evolve? How did you come to know and be known by this person? What choices did you or your friend make to encourage this relationship to deepen? How does this also apply to your relationship with God?
FOR PRAYER: Express to God something of your desire to be His friend. Value the opportunity that prayer offers you to become more familiar with each other. Take time to share, as you would with a best friend, the intimacies of your life with Jesus—whatever you are thinking or feeling about yourself or your circumstances.