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Over the years I eventually threw
out that list out and worked out a
new definition of friendship – real,
honest friendship that shows up
when life gets hard. Really, really
hard. The kind of friend I want
when everything is falling apart.
I heard a quote the other day that I
absolutely fell in love with. It said,
“friends are simply two people not
playing God”
I LOVED THAT.
In essence, real friends do not
believe it is their job to “fix”
eachother, “convict” each other or
whatever. That isn’t our job
description and it never was.
Our job is to love.
Love means this: I accept you and I
embrace you just as you are. It is
not my job or desire to try to
change you.
But, ANNA! God doesn’t love like
that! He loves us too much to leave
us the way we are and we have to
love people the same! And I also
want someone to love me enough
to correct me!!
If you are looking to people to
constantly check with for approval
or for correction, you have
positioned them in a place they
were never designed to be.
Humans cannot be God. They
cannot be the Holy Spirit. And they
never will be. A good friend will sit
with you and gently direct you
towards hearing God’s voice on
your own and will champion
whatever that voice says to you.
And, when you feel like you just
want to love someone enough to try
and change them, remember they
don’t need you to be God. They
need Jesus. That’s it.
LOVE IS NOT A TOOL TO CHANGE PEOPLE.
IT NEVER HAS BEEN.
IT NEVER WILL BE.
THE GOAL OF THE GOSPEL IS NOT TO
CHANGE PEOPLE.
I feel I may be ruffling feathers. But
before you throw me out, hear me
on how I landed here.
There is a beautiful story in
scripture (John 20:19-23) that
describes Jesus’ encounter with his
“friends” (ie: disciples). He had just
re-appeared to them after being
dead for three days, after the
crucifixion.
And remember the context: his
friends had left him in his time of