Friend Wanted

There are many ways to socially connect on the Internet: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and dating websites to name a few. Recently, I was made aware of the existence of a large number of “friendship websites.” These sites are for people who are looking to form friendships, not romantic interests. They come in a great variety focused on things like geographic area (country, state, city), common interests such as politics, religious beliefs, literary clubs, and exchange sites for new moms, sports enthusiasts, bodybuilders, etc.

They are all interested in forming friendships around these shared interests, and frequently state the qualities that they are looking for in friends. Some of the commonly mentioned characteristics of desirable friends include having integrity and honesty, being positive, forgiving, open-minded, confident, and respectful. Other characteristics often mentioned are standing up for one's convictions, being able to tell it like it is, and transparency; that is being the same person in public that you are in private.

It got me to thinking about the qualities that I look for in friendships, and I had to admit that I also valued many of the same characteristics that were mentioned. Have you ever taken time to ask yourself, “What do I look for in a friend? What personality traits attract me to others?” Of course none of us is perfect, and no one human being will contain all the qualities we would most desire in a friend. For that matter, we don't have all the qualities in ourselves that we would like to have in a friend!

At least that is what I thought until yesterday when I happened upon an older page. It was simply labeled, “Friend Wanted.” The person looking for friendship offered the following description of themself: “Mature, intelligent, very knowledgeable, forgiving, patient, kind, understanding, compassionate, truthful, optimistic and joyful, loyal, supportive, financially secure and generous, able to commit to others.”

They listed their major interests as “social justice, human rights, environmental issues, humane treatment of animals, and all the arts.” The site ended with the comment: “Interested in stable long-term relationships. No gender, age, race or cultural preferences.”

I couldn't help but think, “Wow, this guy is going to get inundated with replies! Who wouldn't want to be the friend of such a person?” It's funny, even though I had visited there many times before; I had never really seen that it was actually a “Friend Wanted” page.

This page location is the Holy Bible, and the person looking for friends who described Himself is Father God. Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly explains His character to us, and reassures us that He wants to be our friend. He has all the personality traits anyone could ever want in the perfect friend, and He puts no qualifications on us before He accepts us as His friend.

One of His best self-descriptions is found in 1st Corinthians 13:4–8. I encourage you to read it frequently to remind yourself of what type of friend He is. And you don't ever need to worry that your friendship with Him will fade with time. He has promised repeatedly that He will never leave or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6; Matthew 28:20; John 14:18)

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM or 2:00 PM. I will be continuing our current series with Part II on "How to Wear God's Blessings Well".

Pastor Che