I Never Had A Best Friend
Growing up, I never had a best friend.
I had many close and true friends, but never just one best friend. You know that kind of best friend who is your go to for literally everything… Every bit of shenanigans in your life, they were beside you. Every mess you made, they made too. Every tear cried, they handed you a Kleenex. Every secret, they knew it. They practically lived at your house and owned the other half of your “best friends” necklace. They were the Ethel to your Lucy, the Lilly to your Miley, and the Drake to your Josh. Your. Best. Friend.
Yeah I never had one of those. Which is partly why I dislike the term “best friend” and prefer to simply call them good friends, or close friends (but that’s a story for another day).
But wouldn’t it be nice to have someone who you could always go to? Any time, any place, any topic, and not worry about how they might react or that they might tell someone? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to vent without first explaining the entire situation in great detail just so they know what you’re talking about? Wouldn’t it be nice to talk to someone and know that they’re always completely honest with you and the advice they give is always the best? Wouldn’t it be nice for someone to know every detail of your life and still love you anyway?
Now you’re probably thinking one of two things right now. You’re either thinking how nice that sounds and wishing you had a friend like that (if so, just hang tight) OR you’re thinking a name, your best friend. If this is you, go read that list again and think about your friend. Do they really fit the bill Every.Single.Time? I doubt it. Now you’re just like everyone else, wishing you had a friend like that.
Like I said earlier, I never had a best friend, but I always longed for one. But I realized that even the world’s bestest best friend could never meet that criteria. Guess that means we’ll never have a friend like that, right? Wrong!
There is a friend like that! Turns out I’ve known Him most of my life, even before I realized we were friends, He was beside me every step of the way. And the best news is, He wants MORE BEST FRIENDS. He’s got room to be your best friend too.
Always beside me? ✔
Always comforts me? ✔
Knows all my secrets? ✔
and still loves me anyway? ✔
Always gives the best advice? ✔
Always up for conversation? ✔
and no topic is off limits? ✔
Will never lie to me?✔
Will never hold my past against me? ✔
Will never betray me? ✔
Will never leave me? ✔
That friend is Jesus. The world’s bestest best friend. My truest friend. My dearest friend.
I know it may sound cliché or churchy, but seriously, I’m not kidding or exaggerating when I say Jesus is my best friend. And He should be yours too.
If He isn’t, then what’s holding you back? I bet you’re scared. Scared He’ll judge you, or that He doesn’t really want to hear from you, or won’t listen to you. Scared because you think it’ll be hard and you don’t know where to start. Scared because being best friends with Him might mean you’ll have to make some changes in your life.
Go back and read that list again (the one with all the ✔). That is the truth. All those fears, those reasons you’re scared, are not worth being afraid of. What you should be afraid of though, is your life without Him. Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) If you want to live life the way it’s supposed to be done, the way it was designed, He better be beside you. Otherwise, what you’re living is just a counterfeit of the real thing.
Becoming best friends with Jesus is just like becoming best friends with anyone else. You’ve got to spend time together! Read His Word. Actually listen in church! And the biggest one is YOU HAVE TO TALK TO HIM! Prayer isn’t scary or hard. It’s just a conversation!
Think about when you make a new friend. Yeah in the beginning, talking may be a bit awkward and you might not always know what to say, but if you’re determined to be friends with them, you go back and talk to them again the next day. Pretty soon, you’re talking every day and you never run out of things to say. And now that you’re friends with this awesome person, you want all of your other friends to know them too, so you start inviting them to hang out!
It’s the same way with Jesus. The more you talk to Him, the more time you spend with Him, the easier it will be. And as you spend more time with Him and get to know Him better, you’ll get to like Him more, which we lead to wanting to spend even more time with Him. See the cycle here? And through this, you’ll start to become more like Him, which is part of our purpose here on earth. We are here to bring God glory, and we do that by becoming like Him and showing Him to others.
Besides that, did you know there are actual physical, mental, and emotional health benefits to prayer? As the old hymn says “Oh, what peace we often forfeit/Oh, what needless pain we bear/All because we do not carry/Everything to God in prayer” There are countless studies (many are even secular medical studies) that show regular times of prayer in a person’s life reduces anxiety and stress, which in turn lowers blood pressure, lowers cortisol levels (stress hormone), and improves immune function. Add to that the fact that through prayer, you are now in direct communication with the God of the universe who created you, controls every aspect of this earth, and is the ONLY one with the power to stand against Satan and his evil schemes! When you look at it that way, being best friends with Jesus is a pretty smart move.
Sound good? Or is something still holding you back from being best friends with Him? Are you struggling to believe all that? Struggling to really want to be His friend? Do you know it’s what’s best for you but you just can’t quite make yourself want it that badly yet? That’s ok! But tell Him that. He wants to be your best friend too and He will help you to want to be friends with Him. I know it sounds kinda confusing but I promise it’s not. Just try it. See what happens.
What a friend we have in Jesus.
Is He your best friend?
The idea to write this was prompted in part by some recent insecurities I’ve had in my friendships (which I now realize were just lies planted by the devil to try and trip me up) but they drove me to pour into Christ and He used that to show me what a good and true friend He really is. This post was also inspired by some podcasts I listened to today. They’re super good! Here are the Spotify links if you want to listen too!
