How many really close friends do you have? How many acquaintances do you have?
If you’re like most people, acquaintances far outweigh your close friendships. Close friends are those you spend time with and trust. Close friends are people you love deeply and share your life with. Close friends are those you communicate with frequently and share intimate things about your life.
Acquaintances are people you like. They are people you are friendly with and see once in awhile. They are not people you can’t live without or really need to be with. You enjoy them when you see them but they are not significant to your life. While Acquaintances are nice, what we all need are close friends we can love and trust.
We were created to give love just as much as we were created to receive love. Relationships are important to all of us. Without having people in our lives who care about us life would be cold, sterile, and meaningless. Loving others and being a part of their lives is part of true human fulfillment. We all must have meaningful relationships. Parents, siblings, and close friends are those relationships that nurture us and hopefully we nurture them. We all desire to love and be loved.
What is your status in your relationship with God? Is God a friend or an acquaintance? While God does not need a relationship with us, He desires one. God does not want to be an acquaintance. To do this would break the first and greatest commandment to love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.
He is worthy of our love and friendship. To treat God as an acquaintance is like mistreating a parent, sibling or a really caring, trusted friend. A relationship with God is the ultimate relationship. To ignore that fact or to take it too lightly is a catastrophic mistake. If we mistreat God while on earth do you think we will be accepted as a close friend when we die? Begin today to put God on your friends list.