Words of Hope Daily Devotional

A True Friend

Read: 3 John

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. (vv. 1-2)

There are many privileges that come with age. Surely one of them is deep friendship. People of younger ages enjoy friendship, of course; but their friendships have less history and stability to them. Age allows friendship to mature. It is not uncommon for people who are fifty or older to have friendships that go back over thirty years and reflect a deep bond of loyalty and affection.

This short letter does not carry the weight of books like the Gospel of Matthew or Paul’s letter to the Romans. But one valuable thing it offers is the reminder of the importance of friendship that is rooted in shared faith in Jesus. John wrote this letter to a friend, Gaius. He wishes Gaius well as only a close friend can do. He affirms Gaius’s faithfulness to the gospel and thanks him for showing hospitality to strangers. He keeps the letter short because he would rather communicate with Gaius face to face.

Amazingly, Jesus calls us his friends. He says that true friends are willing to lay down their lives for each other, as he did for us (John 15:13). John and Gaius had that kind of friendship. Both of them loved Jesus above all; that enabled them to love each other.

As you pray, thank God for the gift of friendship. Ask him to help you become the kind of friend that Jesus is to us.

Jerry Sittser

Jerry Sittser is a professor emeritus of theology and senior fellow at Whitworth University. He specializes in the history of Christianity, Christian spirituality, and religion in American public life. As an author, he has written nine books.