A friendship is a deliberate initiative that a person makes to be closer to someone. They learn everything there is to know about the other person and find means to bond with them. A friend strives not to offend you in any way. He/she wants to make you happy, not sad. Everybody has friends, even introverts. This is how God created human nature – that we are social beings. It is automatic to relate to other people in different ways. The influence of friends on your life should not be underestimated. A friend can introduce you to something that will change your life forever, for the best or the worst. In light of the power of friendships, God wants us to be friends with Him.  

With God as your friend, there is a lot in your life that will not remain the same. He is the best counselor, motivator, companion, teacher, and mate. Your friendship with God passes through several stages, just like all other friendships. 

Stages of your friendship with God. 

1. Salvation. 

It is the first encounter between God and man. God initiated it to restore his relationship with man which was lost after the fall of Adam. When you accept Salvation, you subsequently accept the Holy Trinity – God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is the beginning of knowing your friend. God already knows you before you were born and salvation is your chance to equally know him at a deeper level. You can accept salvation by repenting your sins and believing in Jesus, the Son of God. 

2. Trust. 

Trust comes after salvation. The Bible emphasizes that you trust in God with all your heart and do not rely on your understanding. In your friendship with God, how well do you trust him? He wants you to entrust your life to Him. He is a good and reliable friend who puts your best interests forward. Trust maintains friendships, even with God. Trust Him to feed, clothe, protect, and provide for you. Your relationship with God should be like that of a father and his child. The child trusts his father unconditionally. He believes in him without any reservations. This is how your friendship with God grows to become. 

3. Covenant. 

A covenant is a continuation of friendship taken to another level. In a covenant with God, He makes a promise to you and you commit to uphold your relationship with Him. This is a higher level of friendship that God makes with those who have proved to be worthy friends. God is proud of the people whom He makes covenants with because they are intentional in making their friendship work. The first covenant He made with man after the fall of Adam was with Abraham. He promised to make him a father of many nations, changed his name from Abram to Abraham, and made him fruitful. 

You can nurture your friendship with God when you believe in Him. Abraham did and the Bible narrates how he became God’s friend for believing in Him. Friends talk to each other and share their experiences in confidence because they are bound by their friendship and love.  

Moses also became God’s friend because he nurtured his friendship with Him even after running away from Egypt. God later chose him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land. He would speak to Moses about how to lead the people through the desert and provide them with food and water during their journey. God cared for Moses and protected him from the anger of the people when they complained to him. He would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. This is one of the highest levels of friendship in Biblical history.  

Of importance to note is how both Abraham and Moses started their journey of friendship with God. You can begin and continue your journey to become a friend of God until you make an everlasting covenant with Him. This is how they made it: 

1. Welcome God into your life. 

God is intentional in starting a friendship with you. Likewise, you should be intentional in starting a friendship with God. When God called Abraham to move to an unknown land, he accepted His calling and obeyed without questions. When the three men passed by his tent, he warmly welcomed them inside. When God promised him a child, he was quick to believe, unlike his wife who first laughed at the prophecy. This demonstrates how Abraham welcomed God into his life when God approached him. The same is true with Moses. When God introduced Himself to Moses through the burning bush, Moses accepted to draw nearer and remove his shoes. He was willing to hear about God and welcomed Him into his life.  

2. Fulfill his will. 

After welcoming God into your life, fulfill His will. Obedience is part of it. This means you should be ready to follow his instructions and this will touch his heart. Friends are happy when their friends fulfill their wishes. It signals that you value this friendship and that is how you preserve it. Abraham fulfilled God’s will of being ready to sacrifice his son (although God stopped him before he did).

This gesture alone left a memorable mark on his friendship with God. Moses too willingly fulfilled God’s will to go and rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It was a difficult decision especially because he was once a prince of Egypt but he ran away after killing an Egyptian. He was uncertain about what awaited him upon his return. Nevertheless, Moses was intentional in maintaining his friendship with God. He fulfilled His will fearlessly. 

There are many benefits of being a friend of God. Friends do not hide things from each other. As God’s friend, He will reveal to you His plans as He did to Abraham about Sodom and Gomorrah. Making it your lifetime goal to be a friend of God is the best decision you will have ever made. 

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