Showing Ourselves Friendly

"A man [that hath] friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)

What is involved in showing ourselves friendly? How did Jesus define that?

"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." (John 15:15)

In the above passage, Jesus reveals that one requirement for friendship with Him is that He make known unto us all that He has heard of the Father; therefore, that must also be one necessary element of Jesus showing Himself friendly.

That quality of friendliness can be seen here, by God toward Abraham- who was called the Friend of God:

"And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" (Genesis 18:16-18)

Jesus spoke with Abraham there, as a man speaks with his friend; and He is looking for others whom He can call His friends. For He desires greatly to reveal all He has heard of the Father to us!

"He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." (Daniel 2:22) "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (II Corinthians 2:9-10)

Now, Jesus- the Friend who sticks closer than a brother- commanded us to show ourselves friendly, as He shows Himself friendly:

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." (John 15:12-14)

Our part in being God's friends is to obey that commandment to love one another as Jesus has loved us. Therefore, if Jesus showing us what He has heard of the Father is necessary for Him to call us His friends, and is part of His loving us, then we also ought to show one another the things we have heard of the Father.

Speaking of the things of God one with another must thus be a necessary measurement of true friendship. If we are afraid to begin to speak of the things of God to someone we call a friend, how much of a friendship do we truly have with them? No matter how many personal things we may be able to discuss, if we cannot talk of God, then we are not truly showing ourselves friendly.

True friends will speak of the things of God one with another. Anything called friendship, that does not involve that, is an imitation. And if we will not be faithful to lay down our lives in the little things of speaking one to another that which we have heard of God, as Jesus did, how then will we be faithful to love one another in the greater things?

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)