Help me to be the friend I want to have. Tim Tebow from Mission Possible

Just who is your BFF? If you have kids in your home, you have undoubtedly heard the acronym, probably often. In case you’re among the unenlightened, it stands for Best Friends Forever. You know, that special person who shares all your secrets and loves you anyway. And I’m sure that when they say it, they truly mean that they want this friendship to last forever. But all it takes is a cross word or an unkind act and the next thing we hear is that the BFF betrayed them and is no longer a friend. A few days later someone else now has the honor of being the new BFF.

What does forever mean to a thirteen-year-old or even a twenty-five-year-old? When we’re young and starry-eyed, infinitely wise and certainly indestructible, forever is the foreseeable future absent the inevitable challenges every human must face. And I’m sure the term BFF has reached the mouths of children almost from the moment they find their first words, even though they have no real concept of what they’re saying.

Our world has become a series of acronyms for just about everything we can think of: business logos, diseases, medications, even text talk. I recall many years ago that I mentioned stopping by KFC for something to eat and Ken looked at me like I was an alien who just flew in from Mars. I had no idea I was on the cusp of a new speech revolution, one that would evolve into a mania I couldn’t begin to understand. Of course, I was a lot younger then and perhaps I could have mastered the transition to acronyms a lot faster had it occurred at that earlier age. But I’m afraid my acronym vocabulary is limited and will likely stay that way.

One thing I do know for sure, earthly BFFs will come and go. They’re as fickle as the wind. But my BFF will never betray me. Jesus is that friend. He wants to share my darkest moments and my greatest joys. He’ll do the same for you! He is big enough to hold us all in his arms and he has plenty of love to go around.

….and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 27:9 ESV

Family and friends are the spice of our lives. We develop deep relationships with them and find comfort in their presence. They travel down bumpy roads with us and celebrate time-honored traditions. But a day may come when they’re no longer there, either because earthly life has ended or because of an estrangement that seems overwhelming.  

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 ESV

Jesus, on the other hand, will always be there, as close as a prayer, His breath the wind on your cheek. He will listen. He will forgive. He will never betray you or leave you. He even chose to endure persecution and death for you.

Now, who did you say is your BFF?

He chose you out of all the people on earth as his cherished personal treasure.

Deuteronomy 14:2 (Paraphrased from The Message)