11. Ultimately, Jesus desires that our relationship with Him grows into a friendship.

How does the idea of being friends with God make you feel?

What are the obstacles and difficulties in imagining Jesus as friend?

How would being friends with Jesus be good for you?

What do you desire for a relationship with Jesus?

What do you sense that Jesus desires for His relationship with you?

The word “friendship,” in its purest form, appropriately describes a mature relationship with God. Friendship between two people includes many things, such as enjoying each other, being open and transparent with each other, desiring each other’s good, trusting each other, sharing intimately with each other, forgiving each other’s offenses, being aware of each other even when physically separated, being interdependent without being co-dependent, being free of anxiety while in the other’s presence, and much more. 

We can experience many of these same aspects of friendship with God. Because God is God, the comparisons are not all exactly parallel. However, there are still important applications to recognize. For example, God may not need to ask for our forgiveness, but there can be times when we need to “forgive” God for not doing what we would like Him to do or for not being who we would like Him to be. God may not be dependent on us, as in co-dependency, but we can have an image of God that reflects a “God needs me, and I need God” relationship.

As we grow and mature into a deeper spiritual friendship with God, we gain a truer image of who God really is and we connect with God in purer and healthier ways.