Inner Circle
Katrina Young
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
I grew up in a small town in Indiana, a place where literally everyone knew your name and which family that you belonged to. In elementary school, there were twelve kids in my class, and I considered them my friends. Not necessarily were they friends by choice but because they were the only choice. As my world expanded, and options were opened, I quickly learned to use caution in whom I allowed in my inner circle. The book of Proverbs warns, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). True friendships are rare, and I am so thankful for those that I have in my life today. Building those relationships required time and commitment, and each relationship is as unique as the individual. The more time that I spend with those closest to me, the more we share the same interests, values, and convictions. We are always eager to help carry out each other’s dreams and ambitions.
Jesus chose twelve men to be His disciples. These men, all different in character and backgrounds, left their lives to follow Him. He brought them into His inner circle to reveal who He was and teach them the things that were about to take place. They traveled together, shared meals, and witnessed His character, teaching, and miracles. They knew Him well. After they had just shared their last meal together and His time was coming to a close, Jesus says to them, “I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). He goes on to say in verse 16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” He had shared everything about Himself to them and made it clear what He was asking them to do. They were to go and share His love, be an extension of everything they had learned from Him, and bear fruit.
It is not as easy to spend time with friends as it used to be. Now, it is adding a date to the calendar and committing to making it quality time. What do we share with our closest friends? Do we reveal that we are followers of Christ? Are we examples of Him in our daily walk? I admittedly fall short as a perfect friend, but if I fail to share Jesus with those closest to me, I am not sharing all that I am with them. I pray that I can be the example of Christ to my friends and love them the way that He loves me. What friend is God calling you to share His love? I pray that we can exhibit the heart of Christ to our friends by loving them as He has loved us. Be the example that He has given us.
Katrina Young
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
I grew up in a small town in Indiana, a place where literally everyone knew your name and which family that you belonged to. In elementary school, there were twelve kids in my class, and I considered them my friends. Not necessarily were they friends by choice but because they were the only choice. As my world expanded, and options were opened, I quickly learned to use caution in whom I allowed in my inner circle. The book of Proverbs warns, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). True friendships are rare, and I am so thankful for those that I have in my life today. Building those relationships required time and commitment, and each relationship is as unique as the individual. The more time that I spend with those closest to me, the more we share the same interests, values, and convictions. We are always eager to help carry out each other’s dreams and ambitions.
Jesus chose twelve men to be His disciples. These men, all different in character and backgrounds, left their lives to follow Him. He brought them into His inner circle to reveal who He was and teach them the things that were about to take place. They traveled together, shared meals, and witnessed His character, teaching, and miracles. They knew Him well. After they had just shared their last meal together and His time was coming to a close, Jesus says to them, “I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). He goes on to say in verse 16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” He had shared everything about Himself to them and made it clear what He was asking them to do. They were to go and share His love, be an extension of everything they had learned from Him, and bear fruit.
It is not as easy to spend time with friends as it used to be. Now, it is adding a date to the calendar and committing to making it quality time. What do we share with our closest friends? Do we reveal that we are followers of Christ? Are we examples of Him in our daily walk? I admittedly fall short as a perfect friend, but if I fail to share Jesus with those closest to me, I am not sharing all that I am with them. I pray that I can be the example of Christ to my friends and love them the way that He loves me. What friend is God calling you to share His love? I pray that we can exhibit the heart of Christ to our friends by loving them as He has loved us. Be the example that He has given us.
Posted in Upper Room
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