Be Still And Know

John 15:15 To be Jesus’ slave would be the greatest possible privilege. But Jesus wanted his disciples to know that he was looking for a much more intimate relationship than that. At the end of the day, a slave, however trusted and respected, had no rights at all and would certainly not be taken into the confidence of their master. But friends are different. The barriers are down. There is an intimacy that a slave would never experience. In the Old Testament, we hear God referring to Abraham as his friend (Isaiah 41:8). And in Paul’s letter to the Romans, the apostle reflected on the fact that it was through the death of Jesus on the cross that we are now God’s friend, rather than his enemy. Friendship is the most incredible privilege. It cannot be forced. A friendship only occurs because two people want it to happen, and are willing to be flexible enough to make the relationship work. The essence of friendship is that it is open ended. It isn’t based on a contract, but simply on love. As a result