Teresa LeNeave - leneave2@comcast.net

We often hear preachers tell us, "Jesus is our friend", but why don't we flip it around and ask ourself, "Am I His Friend?"

No one wants a fair-weather friend. We all want a friend who is always a friend. To have that kind of friend, we must be that kind of friend. Friendship with God grows in the same way our human friendships grow ... through mutual love and respect and time spent together.

It is my belief that we can't be a friend of God unless we know something about Him. On our own, we can know very little about God. It is God's written word, about Himself, that reveals who and what He is (John 1:18). The good news is that He makes the first move toward us. He wants to be our friend. He wants us to know Him. He sent His Son, His Spirit, His Word, and all creation to reveal, to us, what He is like.

A mark of good friendship is to feel connected. When you have a best-friend, you have a mutual connection that binds you together. Feeling that "connection" is good for our emotional health.

Another distinct mark of friends is that we call our friends to talk about nothing! Do we talk to God for nothing, or is it just when we 'need' something that we knock on heaven's door?

A friend is an ally ... they share the same ideas. We may not always agree, but we understand the same issues. As a friend of God, we also share the same ideas and have the same goal. As you know, God's goal is to save the lost and bring glory to His majestic name. Can we say we share that goal with Him?

How can we show God we love Him? The Bible says the way we treat each other is the way we treat Him. Knowing that ... can we still say we are a friend of God's? It also says if we can't love the people we actually, physically see, how do we think we can love someone we can't see?

Aspiring to be His friend is not always easy. Like all friendships, it takes work. Experts tell us having friends and social connection makes us live longer. That tells me, going to church is good for our well-being.

We don't have to be a religious fanatic to please God, but we do need to get to know who He if we want to please Him. "Without faith," the Bible says, "it is impossible to please God. We must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Not only is He a friend, but He's a rewarder of those who seek Him with all their heart. As far as I can tell, being friends with God is the best emotional therapy we can have.