Being a friend of the Lord  I  have no longer called you servants, because a servant does not know his  master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you. John 15:15 In this verse of scripture, we see a distinction between a friend and a servant. The servant graduating to become a friend. When you are a friend of Jesus Christ, I can guarantee you that things happen differently to your life. I have come to this conclusion through my own experience in my walk with the lord.  I recall numerous occasions where the lord had gone ahead of me to open doors of opportunities for me before I ever needed them. But how did I come this far? By the grace of God, I made a choice to walk faithfully with the lord and resolved to do his work properly. The bible says that a friend stays closer than a brother. Abraham is described as a friend of God, King David, also a man after God’s own heart and Lazarus ,as the man whom Jesus loved.  It is clear from the story of these men that they had gone an extra mile with our Lord Jesus. How then do you become a friend of the lord? We learn from scripture that when Jesus first met the disciple who eventually became his friend, Jesus invited him to follow him. This arrangement still remains, that the starting point of our decision to give our lives to Jesus is with an invitation to follow him. So we can say that every Christian starts the journey as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ then progresses as our relationship with Him deepens.  It is very easy for one to assess the stage at which you are at every point of this Christian life. And these are a few pointers;  Followers can see a miracle and it will mean nothing to them. Followers lack understanding of the things of God. Yet still followers don’t have discernment.  If your way of thinking before becoming a Christian has not changed, you are still a follower and have made no progress. INCONVENIENCE  A follower has a minimum cost to pay, which is necessary if change is to be expected. But not many of us like the inconvenience that comes with discipleship . The first disciples were told that whoever tries to save his life, at the expense of the lord’s business will lose it. . As you embark on the journey to become a friend of the Lord, you need to submit yourself to learn of Him and this will call for a teachable spirit, as a disciple is one who is willing to learn. You will only bear much fruit as a part of the vine when you allow yourself to be pruned. A Christian who refuses to be discipled becomes a threat to the work of God as he becomes a tool in the hand of the devil to destroy.   I urge you to submit yourself to the teaching of the word of God, then your mind will be renewed to appreciate the will of the lord,which is also the only way you can walk in His promises. Failing that you will fall prey to the deceit and weaknesses of the human heart,even your own. As you follow the lord and begin to learn of Him ,you come to a place where you are able to apply that knowledge of the word of God,through service, then you have become His Servant. That relationship is natured through our faithfulness and deligence in our service to Him , into  friendship. There’s a responsibility on the servant of the Lord to do God's work properly and complete it. The challenge may seem daunting, however, when you make the choice to work for the lord, His grace is provided for you so the work becomes ......."easy and......... light". Matthew 11:30.  Yours now therefore is to handle the work of the Lord properly and see how far He will take you as His FRIEND.