Acquaintance vs. Friend

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.”
Psalm 143:8 NIV

During my life I have had many opportunities to meet new people. Those opportunities have come when I have started a new job, and moved into a new neighborhood, and changed churches. The greatest opportunities to meet new people have come when we have relocated to a new state.

I must admit that I make intimate friends cautiously. Before I spill my guts to a new neighbor I want to be sure I can trust them. Before I invite someone to dinner I want to be sure they are not going to take home the silver. Frankly, in a close friendship I am looking for someone to share my hopes, my dreams, my fears, and my concerns. I am looking for a confidant. I have come to realize that my very best friends have also been those individuals with whom I also share my faith.

Acquaintances aren’t so bad either. There is always the chance that they will become a really good friend if given half a chance. Acquaintances are people that you can know and share casual details of life with and enjoy fellowship. In meeting people I have learned to not only look for those God has sent my way for me to help and encourage, but also to look for those has God sent to help and encourage me. I don’t want to miss knowing that special person that God has placed in my life weather they are a one time encounter, an acquaintance, or an intimate friend.

Today I am remembering that when I invited Jesus Christ to come into my life there was much I did not know about him. We really started out together as acquaintances. Yes, he had called me first and invited me to be his friend and I had accepted, but now I was faced with, where was this friendship going? I must admit that early in my acquaintance with Jesus I moved with great caution. How did I know I could trust him? Did he really care about the little details of my life? Why did he want me to obey him and why should I? What was this “serve me” business all about? Over and over again I wondered how could I believe in what I could not see and how could I trust a guy that I couldn’t see to handle my life? Satan loved to dazzle me with all of those questions!

I hardly know how or when it happened. It was gradual. It was exciting. It has become precious! Jesus moved from an acquaintance in my life to a precious friend. For me trust seemed to be the real issue. Most of the trust issues came to rest as I spent time alone with him in the garden of my heart learning about him and his love for me. If you have not experienced your Savior as a friend, I encourage you to move forward in trust.

Every morning when I wake up I am anxious to sit with my friend, Jesus Christ. I can’t wait to hear the word he has for me that day that will tell me of his unfailing love. Jesus is a friend that I can trust. He shows me the way I should go and he lifts up my soul


Questions:

Has Jesus become your friend or is he just an acquaintance?

Do you trust God with your life?

Do you trust him for your future both now and in eternity?

Do you trust him with those you love?

If you can’t trust him, why do you think that is? Is it fear? Is it control? Is it a lack of understanding as to who God really is, or is it your surface relationship with God that is affecting your trust?

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am this day in need of your friendship. I desire to know who you are and understand your love, your power, your grace. Help me to know that you do know my name and that you are waiting for me to move closer to you. Show me how I can learn to trust you more to handle every detail of my life.

In your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.