With Friends Like These

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

– Proverbs 18:24

Who is your BFF (Best Friend Forever)? And for that matter, what’s the mark of a true friend?

Writer Elbert Hubbard defined a friend as “… someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” Actress Marlene Dietrich remarked that the friends who matter are the ones you can call at 4 a.m. But Harry S. Truman was less sentimental about friendship. “If you want a friend in Washington,” he quipped, “get a dog.”

Maybe President Truman was onto something. After all, dogs are known to be loyal and committed. And it also just happens that loyalty and commitment are rare qualities that God values in his people. Joshua — one of the great servant-leaders of the Old Testament — displayed this trait when he challenged the tribes of Israel to choose whom they would serve: the false gods of their ancestors or the one True God.

“But for me and my household,” declared Joshua, “we will serve the Lord.”

Jesus also seeks total commitment from his modern-day followers. Rather than would-be believers who might help build his kingdom if it’s not too inconvenient for them, Christ demands an all-or-nothing relationship from those who are willing to give the little they have to eventually gain everything.

Does that sound unrealistic? Jesus’ disciples once thought so. It’s in Mark’s gospel that we read about a rich young man, who asked Christ what he had to do to gain eternal life. Knowing what was in the man’s heart, Jesus reminded him about following God’s commandments about theft, adultery, murder, lying, and honoring one’s parents. When the man replied that he had kept those laws since childhood, the Savior told him that he lacked just one thing: the need to sell all his possessions.

Jesus knew that rather than loving God with all his heart, soul, and mind (the first of the 10 Commandments), the rich young man was more devoted to his wealth. So, it’s no surprise that the would-be disciple was grieved after hearing Christ’s stark revelation.

How about you? As Christ-followers, one way that we demonstrate our commitment and loyalty — as well as our relationship with him — is by showing generosity toward those Jesus calls “the least of these.” They might be famine victims in Africa, tsunami survivors in Asia, or even fellow Americans who are picking up the pieces after a wildfire or tornado. 

But then again, those who most need our kindness might be much closer: perhaps next door, down the street, or even across the living room. Maybe they’re total strangers. But they could be your family members, your co-workers ... or even your BFFs.