A little while ago I started a short series on loneliness where I talked about how this negative feeling impacts us as Christians. I really loved those articles and I hope you’ve read them, so if you haven’t seen them yet you can catch up on your reading by clicking here.

When I was thinking about the articles on loneliness, I realized I addressed that feeling of lack but I didn’t really spend much time discussing the friendship you can find in Christ Jesus.

Like I said in my other articles, it is OKAY for us as Christians to sometimes feel lonely. In this world filled with darkness, it is perfectly normal to feel you are all alone as a Believer in Christ. For years I was the only Christian in every class I took in college, the only Christian in my workplace, and the only Christian in my entire group of friends. As time went on, I was blessed to be taken to a new environment and given new Christian friends, but what do you do until you reach that place?

Proverbs 18:24 NIV says, One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

The first thing I want to point out in this scripture is the use of the word unreliable. How do you know if you have unreliable friends? I would say that is anyone who is not saved.

Some of you might wrinkle your nose and say, my best friend isn’t saved and she’s the most reliable person I know!

That might be true, but let’s look at this from a spiritual perspective. When someone is unsaved, they cannot understand the power of God the way we can as His children. So, even though you can rely on your best friend to pay you back whenever she borrows money from you—you can’t rely on her to stand in faith with you when you’re believing for a miracle. Or to understand the importance of speaking in tongues. You can’t rely on your best friend to stay faithful during a fast or to understand why you pay tithes, why you sow seeds to your church, why you stand against abortion, why you don’t believe in sex before marriage, etc.…

Being reliable isn’t something that only happens in the physical world. It is a spiritual thing too, and when it comes down to it, I’d much rather have someone as a friend who I can trust in prayer than anything else.

You might say, but I know Christians who aren’t reliable.

This may also be true. Unfortunately, there are some Believers who still have some growing to do, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is not a man that He should lie [Numbers 23:19], He is the same yesterday, today, and forever [Hebrews 13:8], and He cares about the things you care about [I Peter 5:7]. And His name is Jesus.

Even when humans fail and disappoint you, you can always count on Jesus. He is more reliable than anyone on this earth and He will never leave you nor forsake you [Deuteronomy 31:6]. So, even if you do feel lonely and you wonder if there is anyone out there who truly cares for you, remember that Jesus is right there by your side.

How do you become friends with Jesus?

That might sound like a strange question; we are so used to being God’s children, we don’t stop to think about being anything else. There are some Christians who revere and esteem God so greatly that they find it uncomfortable to think of Him as a friend. It is so important for us to revere the Lord; He is our Creator after all—but He is also our Father!

Think of your own parents. Aren’t there times where you sit and enjoy their company as you would a friend? I laugh with mother, go out shopping with her, have lunch with her, watch movies with her, joke with her, tell her about my day, my new boyfriend, my new job—I tell her anything and everything—even the small things that bore her! I treat my mother as a friend because she is a friend as much as she is a parent.

You can have that same relationship with God. In fact, that’s the relationship He wants to have with you!

When you can talk about mundane things with the Lord, chitchat and laugh about the silly things that happened at work, complain about your husband’s smelly socks, or tell Him about that pain in your back that’s been bothering you lately—that’s when you’ve become friends with the Lord. And it doesn’t mean you respect less than someone who only sees Him as the Great God Jehovah, it just means you have a different sort of relationship with Him and that’s OKAY.

In the same way that I have a different relationship with my mother from my two sisters, you can have a different connection with Jesus from the next Child of God. Just remember that God wants a deeper connection with you; He wants to be your friend and He wants to know about the big and little things in your life.

All it takes is a simple word. Open your mouth and begin speaking to God; out loud, in a whisper, writing notes in a journal. Different people have different ways of connecting with God; but as long as you are taking the time to spend with Christ, you are making a difference in your faith.  

Don’t forget to read my other articles, Overcoming Loneliness and Praying for Companionship! If you enjoyed this article, use the form below to sign up for my monthly newsletter! Thank you so much for reading, God bless!