There’s a God Who Would Die before He Would Ever Unfriend You

In an electronic, social media world, it’s so easy to either “unfriend” someone or be “unfriended” by someone. It can happen innocently—someone is simply trying to keep their friend count low, so they can focus on the few close friends they have. It can also happen out of anger—you see a post that you really don’t like, and that person is gone. Whatever the reason, it’s too easy. One click is all that it takes to never see them in your News Feed again.

“There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

Friends don’t always act right, but God does just the opposite. He always loves you with an everlasting love and continually draws you with His kindness until you can see His ways and love Him in return. No, God would never, ever unfriend you!

He sent His own dear Son to show us in living color what love really looks like. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends, and God did just that for you. He could have easily called us slaves and forced us to do His bidding, for He has that kind of power. But He didn’t. He chose to help us. He confided in us. He shared secrets of how life is to be really lived. He bent down to our level and called us friends.

From the moment you were born, He has been wooing and drawing you in. He lovingly placed caring people within your life. Maybe not everyone in your life was loving or caring. As previously stated, people don’t always act right. But God made sure to at least show you glimpses of the potential that He created within people. The neighbor that listened when you were sad. The policeman that helped you find your way when you were lost. The teacher that worked with you until you got the lesson. For every example of people behaving badly, there is another example of people doing the right thing.

God is the friend that shows us good things, loving things, and inspirational things. But He is also the friend that hates to see us going in the wrong direction. A friend shares good times with you and a friend sits with you during the bad times. God does both.

His love is eternal, and He will never unfriend you. He loves you. No matter what you do, He’ll never love you any less. He’s stuck in His commitment to you. Actually, He chooses to be committed to you. That’s even better! He chose to love you. That’s a promise that He has written repeatedly in Scripture.

You don’t have to do anything but believe to get this love. Believe that God Himself did all the legwork so you could freely receive His love. Believe and receive… That’s it!

But after receiving, God commands us to love the people around us. He desires for us to share His love with others. The rest of our lives become a practice ground for loving and helping other people. We strive to live a life full of love, following the perfect example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice—the epitome of love (Ephesians 5:2).

We become imitators of God’s immense love. This life-giving belief in Christ empowers us to clothe ourselves in tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We make allowances for others’ faults. We always remember that the Lord forgave us of many offenses, so we strive to forgive others’ misgivings as well. We clothe ourselves in love which causes harmony to erupt around us (Colossians 3:12-14). This is a good way to live in person and in social media.

When we follow in the footsteps of Christ’s love and really strive to live it out, we receive still another priceless gift—peace of mind and heart—that covers a multitude of anxieties!

Then, we find ourselves in a place where we would never even think of unfriending someone. And if we’re unfriended, we realize that the problem lies more on the side of the “unfriender” than the “unfriendee.” **

**The majority of “unfriendings” are simply personal choices or anger in the moment. If, however, there is any form of harassment, abuse, or an unsafe situation, the person should definitely be unfriended, blocked, and even reported immediately.

Jennifer Heeren loves to write and wants to live in such a way that people are encouraged by her writing and her attitude. She loves to write devotional articles and stories that bring people hope and encouragement. Her cup is always at least half-full, even when circumstances aren’t ideal. She regularly contributes to Crosswalk.com. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband. Visit her at www.jenniferheeren.com.

Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/jurgenfr