My Best Friend

When I think of what a Best Friend is, there are a few characteristics that come to mind: trustworthy, loyal, loving, kind, encouraging, always there, and the list goes on and on. A best friend is someone who you can go to whenever and talk to them with whatever is going on in your life. Someone who you build a strong relationship with over a period of time. A best friend is someone we all desire to have.

Our name is something that means something to us whether we realize it or not. We loved to be called by our name. I know I would much rather be called Jess than Lou, and I know Lou would much rather be called Lou than Jess. We are twins, but we are two different people with our own name. When we first meet someone, the first thing we usually tell them is our name. We don't go up to a stranger and say,  "Hey! I have ten kids." Why you have ten kids? I don't know, but most importantly why would you tell a complete stranger that when you just meet them?  We usually always start a friendship and a relationship with introducing ourselves. With my experience at the YMCA working with kids, I realized that kids as well like to be called by their name. If I don't know a kids name, I usually say, "Hey Buddy!" Before I can even get the word Buddy out, they interrupt me and say, "My name is La-a! ( or insert name in here)" The first step of meeting someone and starting a friendship is telling them our name. We don't wait to tell our wife/husband our name until the minister tells us at the wedding, "you may now tell your bride your name!" We start our relationships off by telling the other our name. This is exactly what God did too. Yaweh! In Exodus, God first shares his name with Moses. "When I go to the Israelites, I will say to them, The God of your fathers sent me to you.' What if the people say, "What is his name?" What Should I tell them? Then God said to Moses, "I am who I am. When you go to the people of Israel, tell them, "I AM sent me to you." (Exodus 3:13-14) God said He is the "I AM." He didn't say, "I am the father." or "I am the coolest guy ever." He tells us that he is just the "I AM!." For one that shows how powerful and awesome He is! Also, right then God shows that he wants a relationship with us. By telling us His name, he takes the first step in starting the relationship. He wants to know you and He wants us to know Him. He is longing for a relationship with us. He wants us to call Him by his name, Yaweh! You may not see it, but he loves us enough to tell us His name.

In any relationship though, it takes two people pursuing it in order for it to be a strong connection. A husband and wife both have to sacrifice things in order to have a successful marriage (I'm not married, but I'm pretty sure that it works that way). I know with my family and my friends, the other person and I both have to reach out to the other. There are no one way friendships! It works the same way with God. We already know each others name, so the next step is pursuing the relationship. Jesus loves us (this I know for the Bible tells me so!). Our job for one is to accept His love. By accepting His love, we are showing that we want that relationship with Him. Our next job is to listen to Him and to talk Him. Just as any friendship, if we don't listen to the other or talk to them, what good is the friendship? God is doing His part. He is listening to us whenever we come before Him, so our job...to talk to Him. He wants to listen to us; he wants to answer our prayers (according to His plan of course). He wants us! All of us! We also have to listen to Him. He talks to us; He is screaming our names; He is doing whatever He can to get our attention. We need to step up and listen to Him. He knows what is best for us, and He knows what we need to do. We can trust in Him. All we have to do is listen to Him. He has given us His word, so that we may know Him and grow closer to Him. He is speaking to us through His word and the Holy Spirit. Why aren't we listening to Him? In our part of the relationship, we need to obey His word and His commandments. We must continue to seek Him. He wants to talk to us. He wants thats that relationship with us. Come near to God and He will come near to you! James 4:8 If we seek the relationship with God, we will find Him. He wants to be with us. He doesn't need us, but He wants us! He is going to do whatever He can to have us. He never gives up on us. Even when we turn from Him, He will always be there waiting for us with arms wide open!

Are we doing what we need to do in order to have a relationship with Him? What is keeping us from seeking Him? What is holding us back from having that relationship with God? Is it work? School? Family? Depression? Loneliness? In order to continue the relationship with Yaweh, we must lay those burdens down so that we may have a relationship with Him.Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28. God wants us to come to Him. God is all the characteristics that describe a best friend plus more. We can't describe how awesome our God is! We need to do our part in the relationship with Him. Maybe it's time for us to forgive those who have hurt us. Maybe it's time to lay our burdens down at the foot of the cross. Maybe it's time we surrender all to Him. He wants all of us. Not just an arm or a leg or a kidney, but all of us! We need to do our part in the friendship with God. He is the perfect Best Friend. He is trustworthy, loyal, loving, kind, encouraging, always there, and the list goes on and on. He is MY Best Friend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=day2zcDC2bI