Forget for the moment everything you ever heard about Jesus Christ. Forget about Him being the Son of God. Forget about Him being your savior and dying for your sins. Forget about Him offering you salvation and eternal life. Forget about Him healing you from your diseases. Forget about him offering you an abundant, happy life, free from worry. For the moment forget all of this.

Most Christians believe all of the above to be true, but many people cannot relate to them. Perhaps you are one of these people. Maybe your life is so full of worry, pain, suffering, and trials right now that you don't know which way to turn. Maybe you are filled with doubt and anxiety, or tormented with some illness or disease. Maybe you are just looking for answers, for the secret to an abundant, happy, worry-free life.

Well, there is one thing that everyone can relate to no matter who you are, or what culture you live in, or what your current state of life is. Regardless of the trials and troubles you may now be experiencing, regardless of the doubt and anxiety, regardless of the pain and suffering, everyone understands and appreciates the value of friendship.

Almost everyone has had a best friend sometime in their life. The nice thing about them is that they love you unconditionally. Yet as good as your previous friendships have been they were not perfect. This one is different! You may not know it now, but the best friend you have ever had is already here!

He will not demand anything from you in exchange for his friendship and love. You don't have to do anything special to communicate with him. There are no prescribed prayers or rituals that you have to go through to talk with him. He will always be there for you, 24 hours a day, whenever you need him. You will have his undivided attention at all times. No matter what you have to tell him, no matter how bad it might be, He will not judge you or condemn you. He will listen patiently to all that is in your heart. He will comfort you in your time of need. He will give you peace in times of trial. He will fill your heart with love when you are sad. He will forgive anything that you have done. He will heal your spirit when you are troubled. He is the best friend you ever had.

You don't have to go through life feeling empty. You don't have to constantly worry about everything. You don't have to be unhappy. You don't have to be alone. You don't have to feel unloved. You now have someone who loves you more than you could ever imagine Remember what was said in the first paragraph about forgetting all those things that Christians believe about Christ? By themselves they don't mean much to most people; however, in the context of the most perfect friendship you will ever have they suddenly take on new meaning.

Imagine a brother who is willing to die for you so that you might live. Imagine a soul mate who can heal a disease you have. Imagine a buddy who will carry all your worries and your fears. Imagine a friend who is willing to give you eternal life, just because he loves you. Finally, imagine someone who just happens to have the Creator God of the whole universe as his Father, who can petition this all-powerful being on your behalf anytime you ask. Well, you don't have to imagine it any longer. You have this friend right now!

You don't have to wait for Him to do many of these things for you because He already has. He has already died for you. He has already offered you salvation. He has already offered you eternal life. He is ready and willing to do even more for you, if you will let Him. He wants to carry your burdens. He wants you to give him your worries and your fears. He wants to give you an abundant, happy life. You only have to do one thing. You have to be willing to accept Him and all that He offers you. His gifts are all free, but you have to open your heart and be willing to accept them.

So what do you do now? The Bible tells us that you must repent of your sins, which is a heart-felt sorrow for all that you have done wrong in your entire life. Then ask your new friend to come into your heart and forgive you, and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior. If you repent, and believe in your heart that He is the Son of God, accepting His shed blood as a sacrifice for your sins, and then are baptized, you will be saved! It's that simple. Finding a minister who will baptize you is easy. Just ask.

Then the most wonderful journey of your life begins! Yes, you may grow slowly at first, but that's OK. For most people friendships develop slowly. The love grows gradually. Best friends become best friends over a period of time. You may want to consider this suggestion to help you grow closer to Him. Whenever you feel like it, just start talking to Him. No, you don't have to use some special prayer, just talk to Him with plain old conversation, like you would do when talking to a brother. Then let Him talk to you through His Word, the pages of the Bible, especially the four Gospels. Listen to what He has to say to you. Learn about His love for you. Get to know Him in a personal way. He will come to you and He will live in you and be there for you....no matter what! His love will flow through you to others.

Not only can you get to know your best friend through talking to Him and reading His words, you can also meet Him in Christians in whom He lives. You may want to attend a Christian church where you can meet with others who are also developing relationships with our Lord. Your relationships with like-minded people will help you to grow closer to Him everyday. (If you would like to know if we have a WCG congregation near you just write to us at the address below.)

Your best friend is also YOUR savior! He died for YOU! He is the way for you to have a personal relationship with the incredible God who created you. Your past sins no longer seperate you from God once you have accepted his sacrifice. His grace, love, and mercy is sufficient to cover anything you have every done...ANYTHING! Now that's a best friend!