“What a friend we have in Jesus” is a poem from the 1800’s that became a popular Christian hymn. We may not know the words to the hymn, but we do know who the friends of Jesus are. His friends are those who do the will of God. Jesus came to do the will of his heavenly Father, and to give eternal life to those who believe in him (Jn 6:38-40). His friends, therefore, are like minded followers who share his values and goals. Jesus makes this plain when he says that those who do the will of his Father are the ones who will enter the kingdom (Mt 7:21). This statement implies that knowing God’s will is possible and deserving of serious consideration.
Scripture reveals God’s will to us in at least two ways. One way involves God’s plan for creation, a new heaven and a new earth where Jesus will draw all things to himself (Rev 21:1; Jn 12:32). And, nothing can prevent this from happening. For, Isaiah says on behalf of the Lord, “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it” (Is 55:11). When this new creation will come about, however, remains a mystery.
Until then, scripture also reveals the will of God in terms of his plan for each of our lives. The prophet Jeremiah expresses this idea when he says on behalf of the Lord, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope (Jer 29:11). Thus, God has a plan for each of our lives, and we have good reason to put our hope and trust in that plan. For that reason, St. Paul urges us to find out what is pleasing to the Lord (Ep 5:10).
Although scripture does not reveal the details of each individual’s plan, we know in a general sense that God expects each of us to carry out good deeds in imitation of Christ. Timothy calls attention to this expectation in a very clear and powerful manner. In his letter, Timothy claims that we should do good and be generous with our own wealth. That way, we will lay up treasure for ourselves as a firm foundation for the coming age and the ultimate life that is truly life (1 Tim 6:17-19).
We also know from scripture that God prepared in advance good works for each of us to carry out (Ep 2:10). The specific good works, as well as when and how, are a matter of opportunity and personal choice based on our own circumstances and available resources. Jesus reminds us that our purpose is to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good deeds and thereby glorify the heavenly Father (Mt 5:16).
This motivates Paul’s claim that there many gifts but one spirit to equip us for doing good works, especially the work of building up the body of Christ (Eph 4:12). We can do that by using our gifts in service to one another (1 Pt 4:10). In that sense, our good works are like a leavening agent that causes the dough to rise. Through good works, we become the farmer tending the growing seed. We tend the kingdom of God by keeping his commandments to love Him and one another as Jesus loves us.
Jesus calls each of us to a different way of life, a different way of seeing things. He wants to form a partnership with each of us (Phil 4:13). Jesus wants coworkers, who will be salt and light for the world, to bring about his bounty—his peace, justice, love, reconciliation, and respect for the dignity of all, especially those in our daily lives.
Being a friend of Jesus means following his example to become more like him in serving others. “I came to serve, not to be served,” Jesus tells his disciples (Mk 10:45). The friends of Jesus did the same, each in their own way. They applied his commandment to love and serve others in their daily lives. We can do likewise.
As followers of Christ, we are chosen for a life of good works born of faith and love to bring about a new reality, a new world—the kingdom of God. This is the will of God. The choice is ours.
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