To My Friends
written at Friday, May 1, 2009
I am sure we have heard this saying, "A true friend will stick beside you through thick and thin." I have something to add to that.
Things have been really busy lately, the hustles and the bustles of the school and work life may form blockades around the opportunities we can have to share and to talk about how things have been for each of us.
Will be flying off in a few weeks, and again we will not have much opportunity to catch up with each other. All the more, my university term will be starting soon and I too will experience the hustle and the bustle of the academic life.
But I realise that there is something more significant and important to be grasped about friendship.
Through our friendship we have experienced God's love so evidently in our lives, because we are loved by God we can thus render this love to others and I thank God because He has shown me His love through you. However, we render this love to others not just within our familiar circles or the people we know best, we must share it with people who need it.
I consider myself immensely blessed, and how I squander this blessing so many a time. At times I am too caught up with my own interests, my own desires, my own ambitions that I forget or am simply too ignorant to share it with others. At times I am too comfortable in my own circle.
Tonight, something stirred inside me, it made me think of an aspect of what a true friend really is. It reminds me of the song "What a friend we have in Jesus", and what a true model Jesus was in learning what true friendship is! He loved society's forgotten people unconditionally, He loved the sick and the poor, those rejected by many.
Jesus was not there just to stick by them through thick and thin, He did more than that, He prayed for them, He helped them & He loved them. "Being here for us" is just one thing, but it is even more assuring and comforting when we know that He gave His life for us!
Can you imagine, if knowing that God cares for us is already so comforting, how much more can you contain yourself upon knowing that His son Jesus prayed, loved and sacrificed His life for the whole world. I am sure you cannot contain yourself, but truly you will overflow with such joy and such a wonderful knowing about God's love that you will WANT to share it with the world!
My friends let's keep praying that God will give us a heart of Love, this is the core of what true friendship is. More than simply writing nice facebook wall posts, more than pleasant birthday greetings, not to mention the nice presents you get too. But may we truly be brothers and sisters in Christ, remembering that Jesus prayed for us, remembering what He has done for us. May we do the same.
And finally, in that, may we see our friends come to know the Lord, who first loved us. Amen.
John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
To My Friends
written at Friday, May 1, 2009
I am sure we have heard this saying, "A true friend will stick beside you through thick and thin." I have something to add to that.
Things have been really busy lately, the hustles and the bustles of the school and work life may form blockades around the opportunities we can have to share and to talk about how things have been for each of us.
Will be flying off in a few weeks, and again we will not have much opportunity to catch up with each other. All the more, my university term will be starting soon and I too will experience the hustle and the bustle of the academic life.
But I realise that there is something more significant and important to be grasped about friendship.
Through our friendship we have experienced God's love so evidently in our lives, because we are loved by God we can thus render this love to others and I thank God because He has shown me His love through you. However, we render this love to others not just within our familiar circles or the people we know best, we must share it with people who need it.
I consider myself immensely blessed, and how I squander this blessing so many a time. At times I am too caught up with my own interests, my own desires, my own ambitions that I forget or am simply too ignorant to share it with others. At times I am too comfortable in my own circle.
Tonight, something stirred inside me, it made me think of an aspect of what a true friend really is. It reminds me of the song "What a friend we have in Jesus", and what a true model Jesus was in learning what true friendship is! He loved society's forgotten people unconditionally, He loved the sick and the poor, those rejected by many.
Jesus was not there just to stick by them through thick and thin, He did more than that, He prayed for them, He helped them & He loved them. "Being here for us" is just one thing, but it is even more assuring and comforting when we know that He gave His life for us!
Can you imagine, if knowing that God cares for us is already so comforting, how much more can you contain yourself upon knowing that His son Jesus prayed, loved and sacrificed His life for the whole world. I am sure you cannot contain yourself, but truly you will overflow with such joy and such a wonderful knowing about God's love that you will WANT to share it with the world!
My friends let's keep praying that God will give us a heart of Love, this is the core of what true friendship is. More than simply writing nice facebook wall posts, more than pleasant birthday greetings, not to mention the nice presents you get too. But may we truly be brothers and sisters in Christ, remembering that Jesus prayed for us, remembering what He has done for us. May we do the same.
And finally, in that, may we see our friends come to know the Lord, who first loved us. Amen.
John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
