Faithful Friend

Many may be a friend,

But a faithful friend,

Who can be?

Show me love, and yes…

You may be a friend;

But teach me to love myself,

A faithful friend you will be.

Forgive me when I wrong you, and yes…

You may be a friend;

But forgive me when I fail to forgive you,

A faithful friend you will be.

Give to me kindness, and yes…

You may be a friend;

But give, needing nothing in return,

A faithful friend you will be.

Keep me from harm, and yes…

You may be a friend;

But grant me the freedom to experience pain,

A faithful friend you will be.

Encourage me, and yes…

You may be a friend;

But confront me in my destructive ways,

A faithful friend you will be.

Tell me what I want to hear, and yes…

You may be a friend;

But to always speak truthfully, even when it hurts,

A faithful friend you will be.

A friend may share your life’s journey,

And a friend may part ways.

But a Faithful Friend gives your journey life,

And his love always remains.

For many may be a friend,

But a faithful friend…

Which will you be?

By this we may know...

Preface:

There may be a time when someone who you’ve only truly known for two hours might say; “There is someone in D.C. that I think you should meet.”

I have just recently returned from a very spontaneous trip to the Northeast, hopping from Washington D.C. up to New Jersey, down to Delaware, then back up to Pennsylvania in just six days before returning to beautiful Colorado.  It is trips like this one that remind me to stop questioning God’s plans and just let Him be.  While I am pretty tired, the encouragement I received while on this trip will last a lifetime.  Of this, I am sure.  

There has been a lot occupying my mind since returning from this trip, and even though these memories are still fresh in my head, I will probably need a few more weeks to fully digest all that I have experienced.  But there is one thing from this trip that I do know: God is using ordinary people, to do extraordinary things...  still, in all of my not knowing, scattered thoughts, and attempts to understand, there has been one verse that has truly caught my attention in the midst of my new experiences and new found friendships.

By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

I John 2:5b-6 (ESV)

Here is the truth, as believers we can imitate Christ’s faith, love, devotion, and selflessness… and we should, because that is how we are known.

It isn’t about how you advertise your cause for your Jesus, but that Jesus is advertised through our actions, our relationships, and our conversations.  It isn’t about the cause itself, and it isn’t about you or me, it is about making Jesus known.  That is the standard, that is how we know Jesus abides in us.

Too often I find myself preparing to do what appears right, and even though conceived out of the purest intentions it is never compared with the ministry, actions, and footsteps of Christ.  So I am very grateful for my new friends, for pointing me towards this verse, and for giving me new perspective as to what it looks like to walk as Christ walked.

By this we may know that we are in him: that we walk in the same way in which he walked. 

That He may put sin to death...

It only seems right to journal about the season of thanks…  I love the sentiment, and the opportunities to tell others just how grateful you are for them, but I feel the most thankful when I see others using this season to slow down enough to remember that which they are thankful for.  This “slowing down” from the busyness of our day-to-day lives has to be the greatest thing about Thanksgiving.  Let us not forget how important it is to slow down, reflect, and give thanks.

I finally found my time to do a bit of reflecting after a very busy few weeks, and it would take much more than one blog post to write all that I am thankful for in this moment.  The lengths that my friends have gone to encourage me in this last week have been humbling: letters, “goodbye” gifts, hugs, prayers, emails, beard jokes, and free coffee and food.  While I will miss my home in Nashville, I was encouraged to see God at work when I left and am excited to see how much more at work He will be when I return.  Words truly cannot express how encouraged I have been by you all.

After all of the craziness of moving away from Nashville for a while, I spent about 24 hours, over the course of three days, in a car driving across the country with my new friend from Columbia.  It offered the perfect opportunity to think about all which God has done in my life in the last year, and what exactly I am grateful for this holiday season.

Here it is:

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. –I Peter 2:24

This verse has absolutely wrecked me.  While I am thankful for many other things… the joy that comes from a life in Christ, and the protection and provision that God has promised me, I cannot find anything more worthy of my thanks that Jesus bore my sins, so that sin may be put to death in my life!  Maybe this finds a few of your heart strings the way it has found mine, maybe not.  But as those created in God’s image who are in constant struggle with selfish desires, pride, hatred, and all other forms of immorality, Christ promises us freedom from this so we may live as true image bearers of God. 

I am not saying that from now on I will remain without sin, even though that is the goal.  It is my hope that in revisiting this promise we are reminded that with Christ, we can put sin to death; and when people see us they see a glimpse of who God really is and just how much He loves his image bearers.  Maybe, just maybe, if we focused a little more on this promise, and actively desiring to put sin to death and live for righteousness, people will understand that what they desire is not to be around us, but to be closer to the love that comes only from God.

Friends, in this holiday season may we remember this…

We no longer have to live in sin.

We are the image bearers of true, unfailing love; and God has given us His son, Jesus, not only to bear our sins, but also to show us how to live in righteousness.

We have been healed of our sin, by His wounds.

We have been given the honor and responsibility of sharing this love with everyone.

Grace, Love, and Thanks.

I Peter 2:24-25

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.