by Joanie Butman
My friend and Bible study leader came over for lunch last weekend looking all put together. You know – make-up, jewelry, hair blown out, and an adorable outfit. After commenting on how lovely she looked, I apologized for my slovenly appearance admitting I hadn’t even taken a shower yet. She replied graciously that she was flattered to be considered a ‘no-shower’ friend.
I’d never heard that expression before, but it didn’t need an explanation. We all have those kind of friends. Ones you don’t have to dress up for, ones who have seen you at your worst (physically, mentally, behaviorally) and still love you; ones that are comfortable telling you there’s a hair growing out of your chin or food in your teeth. They are also the ones that are brutally honest when you ask, “Does this outfit make me look fat?”
In fact, I invited her to lunch so she could meet my best ‘no-shower’ friends who were visiting for a long weekend. That lunch was just one highlight of the most relaxing mini staycation doing art, playing games, singing old songs, and discussing everything from God to celebrity look-a-likes. We never got out of exercise clothes because we needed the elastic waistbands to accommodate all the food we ate. We also exercised – a little, if you consider going back and forth from the couch to the kitchen exercise. As we sat by the fire gabbing on the last night, we agreed that friendship and fellowship have to be one of God’s greatest blessings.
You may or may not have similar friendships, but as a Christian you are guaranteed a ‘no-shower’ friend in Jesus. Someone to share life’s highs, lows and everything in between. Someone who knows you better than you know yourself, who will never leave you or forsake you, who loves you unconditionally. The good news of the Gospel is that through Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, God offers us His friendship and fellowship. The Bible talks about friendship a lot. We sing about What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Friendship is an integral element of our relationship with Christ.
Personally, the fact that Jesus chooses to call me friend is a miracle given that I am unreliable at times, sometimes go for long periods without calling, and often ignore His direction or follow it begrudgingly. Given those truths, the question becomes “what kind of friend am I to Jesus?” Sadly, not always a good one.
As I was thinking about this question, I read that “to be a friend of Jesus is to share and bear the intimate knowledge of God's love and passion for the world. It is to share in what God is doing and how God is doing it.” My own humanity guarantees that I won’t always be a good friend to Jesus, but I can choose to share His love with others so that they too can enjoy His Divine friendship.
How do you choose to honor your friendship with Christ? Choose wisely!
I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father
I have made known to you. (John 15:15)