How much time do you make for your friends?

"... if you don't make time for friends, you won't have any."

Another one-liner from this episode that you should take a moment to think about right? How much time do you spend with your friends?

It would have been quite fitting - in Jesus' busy ministry - for Jesus to encourage His disciples to focus on what was important right? The mission, He was there after all, He wanted to teach them so much. But Jesus does encourage them to spend time with a friend.

Now you don't exactly find this scene in the Bible, but in John 15 you will find some of Jesus' words about friendship and connection. Jesus who walked so closely with His disciples, and spent so much time together, calls - as Rabbi - His disciples friends.

Close.

Involved.

Personal.

Isn't it special that you and I are called friends of God, friends of Jesus? Brought close. Known…

We may also, I think, take away a practical lesson. How much time do we spend with our friends? And what does that time look like?

In our increasingly fast-paced world, the danger is that those contacts become more superficial and we no longer take the time to really hear each other in conversation or to share ordinary life with its ups & downs. There are already 1001 other things demanding our attention. Friendships require a lot of intentionality from you and me. They have to be built and maintained.

Do you make time for your friends?

Think about the following questions:

• Do you make time for your friends?
• What does that time look like?
• Do you see yourself as a friend of Jesus? What does that look like?
• How do you invest in that friendship?

Prayer: "Lord, how incredibly great that You call me Your friend. I want to thank You for that today from the bottom of my heart. Thank You for taking the time for me. Lord, help me to be a faithful friend to those around me. Help me Lord to really be there, to really pay attention. To really be available.

Let it be so Lord, that Your love for me is my example for how I treat my friends, so that in this too You will become visible and we may enjoy You together as friends. Amen."