Wednesday in the Word

John 12:42-43

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

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I look forward to Wednesday in the Word every week. I look forward to asking God which scripture He wants me to share with you...and then sitting and waiting for the answer. Sometimes, it takes a while to get the answer. Other times the answer comes instantly...like this morning.

In my usual way I sat down to write and asked God, "What do you want me to share today?" And just like that I heard the familiar whisper, "John 12." And out of all 40-something verses, I believe this is the bit that God wanted me to share. 

What really stood out to me is verse 43...for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Chris and I went to a worship conference a couple of weekends ago. One of the worship leaders said, more than once, that Jesus is just looking for someone to be His friend. It really hit me...I wrote it down...I cried. That statement went along with a tug I'd been feeling in my heart for weeks...a tug of Jesus whispering, "I just want to spend time with you...that's all."

For weeks I'd been praying and asking God what He wanted me to do. Do this or do that...do, do, do. Work my way right on into heaven. If you're not doing, then you're useless, right? Hmm...well, that's what the world says.

But Jesus never told me what He wanted me to do. He simply said, "I just want to spend time with you.."

Jesus is looking for someone to be His friend. What is a friend anyway? Dictionary.com says a friend is, "a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard."

I say a friend is someone who is there for me...who spends time with me...who takes time to listen to me. Not someone who takes without giving...who talks only of themselves without ever listening to what I have to say...not someone who only comes around when they need something.

I really had to stop and ask myself, "Have I been a friend to Jesus?" Sadly, my answer was...no. Not a very good one anyway.

I don't want to be the friend that just takes takes takes. I want to be the friend that is there...that spends time...that listens. I realize Jesus doesn't need me for anything. He doesn't need me to do anything...to make anything happen...nothing. He's got this whole life and world thing totally under control. He's got God. He is God. But the way I look at it is...God sent Jesus to the earth...to die for us. To save us. To be our best friend in the whole wide world. And just as any parent would want...God wants His Son to have friends...good friends...loyal friends...and that's where we come in.

It doesn't take much to be a friend...and honestly, Jesus isn't as picky about His friends as we are about ours. And God doesn't parent like we do, forbidding Jesus to hang with us because of what we've done...or what we're doing...or what color our skin is...where we live. God loves ALL of Jesus' friends...no matter what. (He even loves his enemies.)

And Jesus doesn't choose His friends based on those things either...He's got something in common with ALL of us...and He loves ALL of us. He died for us, after all. He is attached to us by "feelings of affection and personal regard". All we have to do is reciprocate.We don't have to be perfect...or clean...or thin...or rich...or sober...or talented...or popular. We just have to be ourselves...and willing to be a friend.

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Lord, I thank you for your patience with me...and your willingness to be my friend even when I'm not so friendly...or loyal...or attentive. I thank you for loving me...and being my friend even when all I do is take...and talk...and never quiet myself enough to listen to what you have to say. Help me, Lord to be a better friend to you...to not see you as a religion, but as a friend.

Amen.