Friends in high places

You know the saying, “I’ve got friends in high places”? Well isn’t that just characteristic of today’s society. Success is the goal and the way to get there is by climbing up the “ladder”. Most people in the business world will tell you that the best way to get where you want to go in life is by knowing the right people. If you look at modern terminology or technology you’ll see this concept is main stream. Social media sites offer connections to anyone around the world. Networking is a necessity if you want to gain any influence outside of your own. Even in the fund raising world, the experts split people into categories of successful and reliable givers. The goal there is to seek out people with influence and connections.

In in many ways this way of doing things is beneficial. I mean it builds relationships right? Sometimes, however, relationships are built for the wrong reasons. There also is a constant burden of finding the right connections. Example, I want to start a project in a third world country that meets the needs of hundreds of homeless kids. It’s a great idea with great vision, but where do I get the resources from? Connections. Now I need to step out and seek out funding, find a venue and volunteers to facilitate this project. In my mind it’s urgent and I’d like to see it kick off in the next month, but that’s probably not the reality. First, I need to sell the idea to potential supporters so they can see the benefit of investing into my project.

Thinking of the many “hoops” I need to jump through in order to survive on the mission field causes my head to ache and my heart to sink. With a constant reminder of making connections and raising funds, I sometimes lose my passion for serving. I was thinking about this the other day and the phrase “friends in high places” came to mind. That would be nice, I thought. Then I realized, I do. I have the greatest friend in the highest place, Jesus.

How could I forget that the very creator of the universe and everyone/thing in it is my friend? I know that, but I don’t really know it, if that makes sense. Just like we go about everyday with sickness and weakness in our bodies knowing God is the healer, but we aren’t receiving healing. Or we live in a constant state of stress and anxiety while knowing God is our peace. What if we really acted as though Jesus is our friend in high places? We would see the miraculous unlike ever before. There would never in need. Every burden and trial would be taken care of and we would experience Victory after Victory.

That is is exactly what the Word of God says we have:
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“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. 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 15:12-15

Just as Jesus said in the verses above, if we do what He commands, we are His friends. That’s it. Simple, yet a struggle to come against our own wills and flesh to line up with God’s. The sacrifice, the obedience, is so worth it. We can be friends of God and receive everything He has for us, if only we give up our own ways. I want that. How about you?