“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14)
Jesus calls his disciples “friends” in the sense that He has no secrets for them. He has told them everything that the Father in heaven wanted them to know. At the same time, there is a condition to their friendship with Jesus: they have to do what He commands them! Yes, they are friends, but they are in no way equals.
At first sight, commandments and obedience seem not to fit in a context of friendship. But if we remember that friendship is based on love, it is only logical that friends seek the best for one another. God knows that his commandments are good and helpful and profitable for us, and thus wants us to live by them. We want to honor and please God by obeying his commandments, not grieve him by persisting in sin. We do not obey him grudgingly, but as an expression of our love towards Him. Then his commandments are not burdensome, but give us joy and peace.
Is your life filled with love for God and his commandments?