You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4 NIV

After finishing high school a young man moved to a different city to study. He rented an apartment near his new school and his old friends came to visit him as often as possible. They had all grown up singing hymns, attending church services, and praying to God. Yet, a new friendship with the world was becoming more attractive to them. A fun new neighbor at the new apartment block took them out for an evening on the town. Instead of being a positive influence on the neighbor, the Christian youths heartily joined in the festivities. What kind of friendships are we investing in?

We might like to blame the friends that the youths were making for being bad or attack the worldly actions they were getting into. But, the friendship that the Holy Spirit warns us against is deeper even, than human relationships or the night out. The relationship that we are called to cultivate is one with God. Every other friendship that we make or invest ourselves in should be clearly marked by our obvious nearness to Him. If we turn it all around and make more of what our hearts go out to in this world, then our relationship with God gets seriously damaged. We may not wish to see it, but making much of our world leaves little room for Christ. We willing risk losing our intimacy with the Savior when anything else steals our attention away from our relationship with Him. He paid so much to save us. Shall we pray that the Lord will never have to lose any closeness with us because it is His friendship we seek first?

Dear Lord,

Help us return Your love and never let our hearts go out to anything that would come between us, we pray!

Amen