Joy in the Surrender of Friendship
Friendship with Jesus turns surrender into joy, as He walks with us and expresses His life through us.
Devotional Credit: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Oswald Chambers brings us to the tender words of Jesus: “I have called you friends” from John 15:15. He reminds us that the essence of friendship with Jesus is found in surrender, but not in the grim or heavy way we often imagine. Self-surrender is not meant to feel like a burden or a reluctant duty. Rather, when we yield ourselves fully to God, the Holy Spirit fills that surrender with joy. Sacrifice, then, becomes not drudgery but delight, for it is born out of love.
Chambers highlights how Jesus Himself embodied this truth. He delighted to do His Father’s will, and even in sacrifice, there was joy, not despair. He did not move through life resentfully but with a passion to glorify His Father. When we share His life, we too are caught up in that same love-passion. Yielding to God ceases to be a “must” and becomes a “want.” What once seemed impossible becomes natural, because His life in us is inclined toward joy-filled obedience.
This friendship with Jesus is built upon the new life we have received in Him. It is not a refinement of the old, but something entirely new, devoted to God and empowered by His Spirit. Chambers makes it plain that to love as God loves is not sentimentality but the most practical outworking of discipleship. Friendship with Jesus means we are invited to walk as He walked, to embody His love toward others in ways that reflect His humility and purity.
The devotional calls us to examine the foundation of our sacrifice. If it is rooted in obligation, it leads to weariness. But if it is rooted in our Friend, Jesus, it becomes fruitful, for His influence transforms us slowly but surely. True friendship with Him compels us to show the same love He has shown us, even when it stretches us beyond our natural inclinations. That is the joy of surrender, becoming more like Him as He expresses His life through us.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, I have called you My friend. Friendship with Me is not earned, it is given to you in Jesus. I have placed within you a new life, one that delights to do the will of the Father. You are not bound to the old way of striving, for you have been made new in Christ, united with Him in His joy and His surrender.
Do not think of sacrifice as loss, for in Me it is gain. When you yield your will, you discover My joy filling you. What seemed impossible in your own strength becomes natural in the power of My Spirit. I delight to work in you, both to will and to do My good pleasure.
Friendship with Me is not sentimental but practical. It shows itself in love, love that lays aside preferences, love that serves, love that flows from the life of Jesus in you. As you yield, My love is expressed through you, not forced, but freely given. The world will see My friendship through the way you love.
Remember, you are not surrendering into emptiness, but into fullness. In Jesus you are already complete, and in Him you bear fruit that remains. Walk with Me as a friend, delighting in My will, and you will know the joy of sacrifice that is not heavy, but light and free.
Scripture References: John 15:15, Psalm 40:8, Philippians 2:13, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4-11, Ephesians 3:16-19, Colossians 2:9-10, John 15:5, 1 John 4:7-12.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a child eagerly handing their parent a crayon drawing. The paper may be wrinkled and the lines messy, but the child is beaming with joy because giving it is an act of love. The parent, in turn, treasures the gift not because of its perfection, but because of the heart behind it. In the same way, our surrender to Jesus is not about perfection, but about offering ourselves in love. What once looked like duty becomes joy when we realize we are giving it to the One who calls us friend.
Today, as I go about the ordinary moments of life, whether it is speaking kindly to someone difficult, choosing patience instead of irritation, or setting aside my preference for another, I can whisper, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me right now.” In that yielding, His friendship becomes visible in me.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that You have called me Your friend. I rejoice that surrender is no longer a burden, but a joy because of the life of Jesus in me. I am grateful that sacrifice is not loss, but an overflow of Your love expressed through me. I rest today in Your friendship, confident that every act of surrender is filled with Your joy and transformed into fruitfulness.