It's Complicated

Did you know that Webster’s Definition of Friend is – “one attached to another by affection”. I am glad to report to you this morning that “Jesus loves me….and this I know…for the bible tells me so!” God has left me a love letter that tells me just how much He loves me. And I want to read to you a portion of his letter to me.

John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Do you know how much Jesus loves me? How much he loves you? ……..He loved us all the way to the cross! He loved us so much that he gave his life for us. I think it is safe to assume that we have a “friend in God”

All through God’s word…we find story after story about people who were in a committed relationship with one another. The story of Jonathan and David is such a story. It was the story of “true friendship”. They were in a “committed relationship with each other….not in some perverted way….but as friends. I believe that both Jonathan and David understood the meaning of Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity”

How many of us have ever had a friendship like this? We have a friend that we could always count on being there for us. Many of you have someone like that in your life today. You are not related by blood…..but you are related by “brotherly love”. You would consider this person to be your closest of friends.

And I can say this to us all as well……there is nothing wrong with having a friend like this. I have a friend like this in my wife. She is my soul-mate. I tell her most of the things that are going on in my life….but not everything. And some would ask…what are you keeping from her if you love her? And the answer to that is “Everything that might hurt her. I do that because I love her”.

Yet, there is one that I do not….and cannot….. keep anything from. There is one that I do not have to keep anything from. And the same goes for you if you are a child of God. When we feel we must hid things from Jesus……that we will hurt Him if He finds out….can I say to us….He already knows……He already is hurting….because you are defining your relationship with him as “complicated”. You are telling him that you do not trust Him enough to discuss what is hurting you. In other words….you are telling him that He is NOT your closest friend.

Often in my life…..I have heard people asking someone else…… “well, what should I do? What would you do?”……and I often wonder if they have ever asked Jesus those same questions? IF we want to know why our relationship is “complicated”……could it be that we are the complication?

Let me share with you what Jesus wants each of us to know this morning about those “complicated relationships” with him.

Proverbs 18:24 - A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Did you know that we have a friend in God…..yet, the question remains……. “just how friendly are we to Him?”. How often are we talking to Him? How often are we consulting with Him? How often are we listening to Him? Because if we are not doing these things…allow me to give you a status update: “your relationship is complicated”.