Friend.

I once heard it said, “If you want a friend, be a friend.”  Sounds profound, but to really apply it can be harder.   Today it’s sad.  I know of so many people who can go to church each week and never really connect with anyone.  They slip in after the first song and slip out during the closing prayer.  I am glad they came.  But more than just hearing a spoken message, Sunday is a day to connect and the church can be a place to find great friends.

Growing up at a church in Sacramento and going to a Christian school, I always had a great friend, Jake Larson.   Years later, Jake is a pastor in California.  We have known each other for more than twenty years.  We went to college together and even started Fireproof Ministries together.  Our lives have so much in common and yet we live far apart.  But friends last.

When I reflect, I see that Jake and I connect on a deeper level than acquaintances.  We have similar passions, similar pursuits, but totally different personalities.  In all of the years, I cannot remember ever saying, “Jake I want you to be my friend.”  What I remember is Jake always being there for me and me being there for him.  Granted, it’s not always easy, but that is what makes a friendship strong. 

Friends defend weaknesses.

Friends brag about strengths.

Friends speak truth.

Friends are consistent.

Friends are loyal. 

Friends fight fair.

Friends are…few and far between.

The connectivity of friends is low maintenance and high return.  They are easy to get along with and demand or ask for very little in return.  Scripture says it this way, “a friend loves at all time” (Proverb 17:17).  When love is consistently coming from a friend, maintaining connection should be simple and easy.

That’s Jake.  But I could list many more or I could have said this of many others.  I am thankful for my friends.

Today, look at your life and those closest to you.  Are they willing to defend your weaknesses?  Do they brag about you and build you up by speaking truth to you consistently?  Are they loyal, fair, and faithful?  If so, you have got a friend to stay connected to for life.

Knowing the number of people who read this, there are some who feel totally disconnected.  Isolated and alone, you may be thinking, “I want to be able to say that about someone.”  The first step is being a friend to someone.  Today, be a defender of the voiceless.  Be a strength for the weak.   Find someone alone and be available.  Listen.  Love.  Lead.

Thank you for being our friend.

Until we connect,

Craig

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