Friendship

Over the past several years I have been praying diligently for God to bring me a good friend. I have never had very good luck with friends and there are very few people that I actually consider true friends. I have always thought of myself as an exceptionally good friend to others and haven't quite figured out why I cannot find someone to truly rely on myself. To me, a friend is someone who is loyal beyond measure. Someone who would do anything to help a friend in need. Someone who always has the time to talk, and someone who listens with an empathetic ear.

I was recently angry at someone that I thought was a real friend, but soon learned was using me. It is unfortunate, because I really did care about her and thought of her as my closest friend for a long time. I felt burned and disappointed. As I grew bitter toward her, I prayed yet again for God to bring me a real friend and not someone like the last person whom I only thought was my friend. Suddenly, I felt God tugging on my heart, telling me that He felt the same way about our friendship that I felt about my last one. God is the friend that I imagine that I am to others, but I am the friend to Him that I despise. I do not listen. I do not spend time with Him as often as I should. I often come to Him with requests, leaving that as the extent to my daily prayer.

How can I expect God to answer this prayer I have had for a friend, when I am treating Him the exact way that I do not want to be treated. I am thankful that God always finds a way to remind me that He is there, that He wants to spend time with me and that He desires that I find time for Him. My new prayer will be that I am continually reminded of the amazing friendship that I already have in Jesus and that I can be the friend to Him that, I expect my friends to be to me.