God gives us our friends. God sometimes allow friends that aren't really friends in our own definition.
I had all kinds of friends and acquaintances. There were gays, lesbians, straight, party animals, conservative, religious, adulterers, carefree, -----(you know what it is), gold diggers, I don't really care who they are. Different strokes for different folks, as the saying goes. Though gradually, these lost friends I had mentioned above, not all of them though and I don't want to call them as sinful or judge them as they are, so I'll define them as "lost", were somehow beginning to disappear as time passes. When I became a born again Christian, they even decreased more. I wonder why... I even asked God, how come my friends are gone? It's like all of them don't like me anymore. And when I'm with the others sometimes, it seems that they don't enjoy my company anymore. "Am I that unlikeable Lord?" "Or I just don't like them anymore?"
The thing is, I was once like them before, I was once lost, so I still would want to be acquainted with these friends of mine. I wanna do this to be able to somehow minister to them. In fact there was a time when I pretended to be also just like what I was before, meaning, I did not show any changes with my moves and my words, I laugh out loud, I party, I tease them but I made sure I don't curse, because that was the way I was before too. But then, surprisingly, it still didn't work out. Sure, we have met in some restaurants or in parties, went with them through their invitations, but honestly, I don't really enjoy that much anymore. If I were to stay for awhile then that would be fine. Am I so "kill joy" now???
Not really, God says he will reveal to you slowly the truth about life and the true happiness that you're looking for. The life that has no darkness says in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Some time in our lives, we don't see the light and continue to live a life in darkness, because we don't know where to follow and where to see the light. In this aspect, we do things that we thought can give us at least happiness in the way of the world. We often do this with our friends. As the saying goes, "Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are" I think this is somewhat true and majority of group of friends really share the same interests.
I never regret that I have met all the friends in the past and the present. I learn from them. I learned that life is a circle of different walks and circumstances. I have learned that life was never easy and that life also has to be treasured. I also learned that without God, true happiness is so hard to find and contentment is so difficult to be determined. When I died in Spirit with Jesus on the cross, I have learned to not judge people who are lost. Even Jesus Himself ate with the Tax Collectors and other despicable people in Luke chapter 15. Jesus illustrated in this chapter that even if you had only one lost sheep from a hundred other sheeps, you would still search for it in the wilderness. Same with friendship, you need to also help the lost find the truth. When we aren't still Christians, we were all blind, and so our friend that's lost is also blind.
There will come a time that they will see in God's perfect time, so long as you did your part and share to your friends the truth about God's promises. A promise that will shed them light. Just as the beggar exclaimed in the book of John in 9:25, "But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!"
And of course there are my true friends. Luckily, my true and real friends are still there for me even today. They're also different kinds of people but I love and value them all. I don't really have difficulties in meeting and making friends because I think I was born friendly. Though I need to confess to you that I was once a very selfish friend. I only want my own friends to spend time with me, focus on me, party with me and talk to me about everything that's happening in their own lives! God had to deal with me in this before. I realized that whatever your weakness is, that's the actual area where you will have more tests and God allows this to mold you. Before, I had lots of valued friends and somehow had never complied to my expectations. Because I am always jealous and self-centered, God gave me friends that did not really spent time with me a lot. And so I have learned that not every friend is always there for you when you need them. Sure there will be someone who will always be there for you but not all of your friends.
There are friends who will be always there for you when you need to go shopping, there's also a friend who will always be there for you when you want to watch movies, when you want to go to the beauty salon, when you want to have coffee, when you want to eat burgers or some exotic foods, when you want to pray, or simply, when you want an ear to listen. And of course there will always be a friend whom you can talk to about everything in life! Truth is, we are all doing these activities stated above. We are actually doing all of these, that's why a friend is assigned to us by God in our life's different activities. Not everyone loves shopping and sports at the same time. Not also everyone is good at eating and loves movies at the same time. There will always be someone who is good at something. Although there is also a super friend all in one. You can do and share all things with this person and that is God's gift. But let us not limit our connections, for us to grow and learn by meeting all kinds of people. Let us not also be obnoxious upon meeting friends. Let us learn to trust them, for when you begin to show them you don't trust them, they won't trust you either.
Friends are gifts from the heavens. God told us to love one another and not love only those who love us. When we love only those friends who loves us back, that is real foolishness. We must learn how to love and not expect anything in return, for God also loved and died for us despite of our sins. He wants us to be his friends and God truly is our Best Friend...
By: Maya G. Santos
