“For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son”—Romans 5:10 (NLT).
In his book, The Pleasure of His Company: A Journey to Intimate Friendship with God, author and pastor Dutch Sheets opens Chapter 15 with the following statement:
“I called myself a Christian for seventeen years before I discovered I could have a truly personal relationship with God. Prior to this, I certainly knew Him as God and I definitely knew Him as my Savior. I didn’t, however, know Him as my Father, and walking with Him as a friend wasn’t even in the field of view.”
I can relate to Sheets’ statement, except I was in my mid-40s. It took a life-changing situation to lead me to the foot of the cross. Yes, I knew of God but didn’t know Him personally, let alone have a friendship with Him.
Having a Friendship with God
I attended church faithfully until my early 20s. I drifted away but returned in my early 30s. Even then, I didn’t understand I could have an intimate relationship with Him. At that time, God was always painted as a distant being, someone to fear, judge, and punish me for my sins.
As a child, I felt a pull from God when I was outdoors. Spending time in His creation helped me to understand a different side of the Lord. He was a Creator God. I found joy and contentment when I was in His presence.
But having a friendship with God never crossed my mind. Even in my childhood, though, God was reaching out to me. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”
What Does Friendship Mean?
What does the word, friendship, imply? First, friendships take time to develop. Like Sheets, I “have many acquaintances but very few people I call my friends.”
Ironically, Facebook changed the definition of friendship. For some of us, our list of friends grew to include people we’ve never met. Many are friends of friends. As a writer, my “friends” list on the social media platform has grown to include family members, former students, teaching friends, other writers, and church family. Of the nearly 5,000 on my list, most are acquaintances.
However, I have a few close friendships. I enjoy spending quality time with those friends and sharing life’s experiences. We trust each other, have mutual interests, and share our hopes, dreams, and fears.
Knowing God as a Friend
In Genesis, we read about Adam and Eve’s relationship with God. They spent time together as friends in the garden. Life was good. Then, Satan entered the picture. After the couple’s fall from grace, they were dismissed from the garden and estranged from their Creator.
But Romans 5:10 reminds us that our friendship with God was restored when Jesus died for our sins. This verse invites us to consider how much God loves us.
Just as we spend time with our close friends, being God’s friend requires us to spend quality time with Him, being honest and trusting Him with our deepest hurts and fears, and sharing our joys and dreams. Let’s not forget we have a divine friend who walks beside us each day, guiding and loving us unconditionally.
I always love hearing from my readers. Please e-mail me at carol@carolaround.com with your thoughts or visit my blog for more inspiration at www.carolaround.com. If you need a speaker or workshop leader, contact me at the above e-mail address or through my website. I’d be delighted to hear from you.
Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash