A Testimony From Sis. Beverly Henry Wheeler
"Are You My Friend?"
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending a little time with a six year old. She was sitting at the table doing her homework. She stopped for a moment, looked up at me and asked, “Are you my friend?” I thought how cute. I answered and said, “Of course, I am. ” Thinking nothing about the interaction until a few moments later. She asked the same question, “Are you my friend?” My response was the same. “Of course, I am.” Believe it or not this interaction went on most of the time we were together. About 3 hours. At one point during this interchange, I stopped and asked her if she knew the definition of a friend? I probed but could not get a handle on why she was not convinced I was her friend. It bothered me, why I could not convince this 6 year old that I was her friend. My words were not enough. She was looking for something more. Perhaps if I stated it with more confidence in my voice. Perhaps if I stated it with gentleness in my voice. Perhaps my actions and my words would change her mind. Perhaps! I finally realized there was nothing more I could do to convince her. She would have to accept and believe what I said. It was her choice to make. This interaction reminded me of my relationship with God. Like the 6 year old, I think, I sometimes seem like that to God. “Are you my friend? I ask God when I am worried about paying my next bill. Are you my friend? I ask God when I worried about getting a job, the next place to live, the clothes on my back. Are you my friend? When I don’t know if _____________ .” (Fill in the blank) I realized perhaps, I did not understand friendship, but more importantly my friendship with Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13-15). Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His "friends." Anyone may become His friend by accepting Him as your personal savior, believe He died on the cross for your sins, confess your sins and ask forgiveness for them. Finally, the real definition of a true friend comes from the Apostle Paul: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8). "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:13). Now, that is true friendship. Jesus says, "Yes, I am your friend." Until He Comes....Sis Beverly Henry Wheeler
January 2011
