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Friendship is sacrificial

In John 15 Jesus teaches that friendship is sacrificial—that “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. And we know that Jesus did go on to do exactly that. We see that true love comes at a cost. Friendship will be costly in terms of our personal convenience and time, and as we move out of our comfort zone and make ourselves vulnerable. Friendship may cost us personal convenience. It may mean doing things that your friend wants to do rather than something you want to do because they are having a rough time. It may mean changing plans to help someone. Friendship may cost time. It may mean giving up time to call a friend to say hi and check in when you would much rather lie on the couch and watch TV. It may mean keeping commitments with friends when life gets crazy. Friendship may cost intimacy. It may mean opening up your life and heart and letting someone else know the real you. Friendship costs as you need to be vulnerable and that is not fun. Friendship is costly as it takes you out of your comfort zone. As Jonathan Holmes says, “if love in its highest and greatest form was demonstrated through Christ’s self-sacrificial death on our behalf, then clearly the love we display to one another through our friendships must also be characterised by self-sacrifice”.

Questions How can you be self-sacrificial in your friendships? Have you been self-centred in your friendships and need to ask God to help you change? What are some practical ways you can serve your friends? 

Prayer Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to be a loving and sacrificial friend like Jesus. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus who served us and loved us by dying for his friends. Amen. 

Spend some time thanking God for the friends he has put in your life who have served you.