My Best Friend

Who is your best friend? Your spouse, a sibling, a school chum? Your boss at work?

Friends are essential. They make you feel wanted. You can depend on them to listen to your problems. Everybody needs friends.

Well, you may be surprised to learn that my best friend is God. Sure, I have other friends. But He's my favorite. God always makes me feel needed. He's dependable. He always knows my needs. And He helps me solve my problems by giving me answers. He is always there for me. What better friend is there?

That's not all. God knows I am an important individual in His creation. He knows all about me because He made me and gave me the ability to express His qualities, which are spiritual. They include compassion, intelligence, integrity, and so many others - and every one of them is good.

To be good friends, you and I need to care about others. Learn how they think and act. Find out what they know and care about and what their abilities and needs are. And we can be better friends to everyone by learning about God as our best friend.

One helpful way is by considering the Lord's Prayer (see Matt. 6:9-13). It tells many things about God. It begins by assuring us that He is "in heaven." But this is not a faraway place. The Christian Science textbook explains that heaven is "harmony; the reign of Spirit; government by divine Principle; spirituality; bliss; the atmosphere of Soul" (Mary Baker Eddy, "Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures," Pg. 587). We experience heaven when our thoughts and intentions are good. In this way, we know that God, who gives us these good thoughts and intentions, is right where we are, which is as close as one can get. This is proof of something else the Lord's Prayer says: that God's kingdom is right where we are, and that His will for us is already established - it's not unattainable.

That prayer also tells us our friend God supplies everything we need; He forgives our mistakes and gives us the strength to forgive people who treat us badly. It promises that He won't lead us astray, but that if we do get into trouble, He'll help us find and express our natural goodness. The Lord's Prayer ends by telling us how we can honor God, acknowledging Him as infinite and all-powerful.

God is the giver of life, truth, and love to everyone. What a friend to have! And these qualities have healing power.

Jesus Christ called on God all the time. The Saviour knew he could count on God to help and heal people. Even to raise the dead. Once Jesus heard that his own loved friend Lazarus was sick. Then Lazarus died (see John, Chap. 11). But Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep."

Christian Science explains that Jesus knew God as Life itself, and that we are each the image and likeness of God, reflecting all the qualities associated with Life, eternally. Life has no opposite, because Life is God, and there is no opposing power to God. Even though Lazarus was entombed for four days before Jesus arrived on the scene, Jesus raised him from death and reunited him with his family and friends.

Maybe we won't face a situation like that one. But we can learn to call on God to help ourselves and our friends in any trouble. For instance, when my job was about to be terminated, I prayed for God's guidance as to what steps to take. I had to continue making a living for myself and my family. I was convinced that my best friend, God, had the perfect answer. I acknowledged that He was the source of my intelligence, which I could use effectively.

I thought of quitting my job even before it terminated, and prayed more to know if this was a good move. Then this thought came: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). I took this to mean that in this instance I should not quit my job, but wait. It wasn't long before another employee resigned. I was asked to take her position, and I kept it until I retired. I'll always be grateful for that wonderful guidance.

It's never a scary thing to depend on God when we know Him. He's always there, seen and felt in the spiritual qualities that everyone possesses as gifts from Him. What a friend!