Vital signs- Friday, September 8th, 2023

More people than ever are claiming to be “experts” in so many areas, to the point where we have never been more distrusting of the actual experts! We should all strive to be the best we can be in our craft, Yet being an expert in what we do does not mean we have to be arrogant or selfish. In fact, being our best can put us in an even better position to serve people. The more we know, the more we can help. The extra mile in any relationship is in being a friend first and the expert second.

Who are our real friends? Most professionals today count many of their business acquaintances as friends, but are they?

I have found that people tend to struggle to be both a friend and an expert in their relationships. Jesus was an expert on literally everything, yet he called his disciples his friends (John 15:15). In fact, sometimes the disciples had to overcome the familiarity of Jesus being their friend to see that he was the Son of God. Jesus allowed them to see him as both the friend and the expert. By the time of his ascension, their obedience wasn’t to the expert they followed but to their friend, out of deep, endearing loyalty.

““This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Team Wade is crazy about you!👊🧡