Reflections:  How friends love  Jesus has shown us in John 15 that friendship is a product of love. Sometimes the notion of love can feel like an abstract or wishy-washy concept. Paul’s definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 can be really helpful in thinking through what it means to be a friend who loves. This passage – which is not about husbands and wives – is helpful to understand how friends should love. A friend is patient and kind. A friend doesn’t get jealous or brag
or keep a record of all the times they’ve been hurt. A friend stops others from doing something evil and points to the truth. A friend protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. At this point you may be feeling rather overwhelmed. Who can possibly live up to this? Who among us can be a friend who constantly loves like this?  And the simple answer is: no one. But the more accurate answer is: no one but Jesus. Remember, he is the perfect friend. He is the one in whom all these marks of friendship are perfectly fulfilled. When we look to Jesus we see the truest friend you could possibly ask for. This is the friend we all need. And what a friend he is.

Questions:  Are you a friend who embodies the qualities of 1 Cor 13: 4 – 7? Are there some things you need to repent of, apologize for or ask God to help
you grow in?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help us to be friends who are patient and kind. Help us to not get jealous or brag or keep a record of all the times we have been hurt. Please give us wisdom to stop our friends from doing something evil and point them to the truth. Please help us to be a who friend protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres.

We’re reading the Bible until June 30th with Caitlin Orr.  Caitlin is an Assistant Minister at Watsons Bay Anglican Church in Sydney.