There is one thing that everyone can relate to no matter who you are, or what culture you live in, or what your current state of life is. Regardless of the trials and troubles you may now be experiencing, regardless of the doubt and anxiety, regardless of the pain and suffering, everyone understands and appreciates the value of friendship.
Almost everyone has had a best friend sometime in their life. The nice thing about them is that they care about you unconditionally. Yet as good as your previous friendships have been they were not perfect. This one is different! You may not know it now, but the best friend you have ever had is already here!
Jesus will not demand anything from you in exchange for his friendship. You don't have to do anything special to communicate with him. There are no prescribed prayers or rituals that you have to go through to talk with him. Jesus will always be there for you, 24 hours a day, whenever you need him. You will have his undivided attention at all times. No matter what you have to tell him, no matter how bad it might be, He will not judge you or condemn you. Jesus will listen patiently to all that is in your heart. He will comfort you in your time of need. He will give you peace in times of trial. He will fill your heart when you are sad. He will forgive anything that you have done. He will heal your spirit when you are troubled.
You don't have to go through life feeling empty. You don't have to constantly worry about everything. You don't have to be unhappy. You don't have to be alone. You don't have to feel unloved. You now have someone who cares about you more than you could ever imagine Remember what was said in the first paragraph about forgetting all those things that Christians believe about Jesus Christ? By themselves they don't mean much to most people; however, in the context of the most perfect friendship you will ever have they suddenly take on new meaning.
Imagine a friend who is willing to die for you so that you might live. Imagine a brother who can heal a disease you have. Imagine a friend who will carry all your worries and your fears. Imagine someone who is willing to give you eternal life, just because he loves you. Finally, imagine someone who just happens to have the Creator God of the whole universe as his Father, who can petition this all-powerful being on your behalf anytime you ask. Well, you don't have to imagine it any longer. You have all of this right now!
You don't have to wait for Jesus to do many of these things for you because He already has. Jesus has already died for you. Jesus has already offered you salvation. Jesus has already offered you eternal life. Jesus is ready and willing to do even more for you, if you will let Him. He wants to carry your burdens. He wants you to give him your worries and your fears. He wants to give you an abundant, happy life. You only have to do one thing. You have to be willing to accept Him and all that He offers you. His gifts are all free, but you have to open your heart and be willing to accept them.
So what do you do now? The Bible tells us that you must repent of your sins, which is a heart-felt sorrow for all that you have done wrong in your entire life. Then ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you. If you repent, and believe in your heart that He is the Son of God, your savior, accepting His shed blood as a sacrifice for your sins, and then are properly baptized, you will be saved! It's that simple. Finding a minister who will baptize you is easy. Just ask.
Then the most wonderful journey of your life begins! Yes, you may grow slowly at first, but that's OK. For most people friendships develop slowly. They grow gradually. You may want to consider this suggestion to help you grow closer to Jesus. Whenever you feel like it, just start talking to Him. No, you don't have to use some special prayer, just talk to Him with plain old conversation, like you would do when talking to a brother. Then let Jesus talk to you through His Word, the pages of the Bible, especially the four Gospels. Listen to what He has to say to you. Learn about His love for you. Get to know Jesus in a personal way. He will come to you and He will live in you and be there for you....no matter what! His love will flow through you to others.
Not only can you get to know Jesus through talking to Him and reading His words, you can also meet Him in Christians in whom He lives. You may want to attend a Christian church where you can meet with others who are also developing relationships with our Lord. Your relationships with like-minded people will help you to grow closer to Jesus everyday.
Your best friend is also YOUR savior! Jesus died for YOU! He is the way for you to have a personal relationship with the incredible God who created you. Your past sins no longer separate you from God once you have accepted his sacrifice. His grace, love, and mercy is sufficient to cover anything you have every done...ANYTHING!
Remember, you don't have to go it alone anymore. You can call upon Jesus anytime and He will be there for you. No matter what you do, He will always be there for you. That's His promise to you!
