Imaginary Friends. Genuine Faith.

Did you ever have an imaginary friend? I don’t think I did. I didn’t have a lot of actual real life friends, so I think I didn’t give myself enough credit to make up any pretend ones. 

Wow….now that I’ve typed those words, that sounds pretty pathetic. Let’s just forget I said anything and get back to my question. 

I was curious how common it is to have imaginary friends, so I did a little bit of reading on the topic.  According to healthline.com, as many as 65% of kids under age 7 have had one. Most research shows that it’s healthy and even has some benefits. Imaginary friends help foster creativity and can even help with vocabulary and social skills. They also offer companionship. 

Looking back, I could’ve used a few imaginary friends, or even just one. I don’t think I’m the only one who ever struggled with feeling alone. It’s not fun, not as a child or as an adult. Sometimes I still feel lonely, and I am definitely not a kid anymore! 

No matter what your age, our world today lends itself to feeling isolated. According to statistica.com, a global survey released in November 2021 showed that about 33% of adults experience feelings of loneliness worldwide. Math is not a strength for me, but even I know that means that at least one out of three people are lonely.

I don’t think I need to go through all of the potential culprits of loneliness. It’s a very real thing. And sometimes, it’s just really hard.

I wish I were sitting across from you right now to share something with you. I would tell you, “Friend, you are never alone with Jesus in your life.” We are designed to be in relationships, especially with Jesus!

John 15 is a beautiful testimony of how valuable we are to Christ. It takes place when He’s with the disciples the night before His death. He wants them, and us, to love each other as much as He loves us (verse 12). As He’s about to lay down His own life, He explains that there’s no greater love than sacrificing your life for a friend (verse 13). He makes sure to say we are not servants, we are His friends (verse 15). And my favorite part is He chose us (verse 16). Put all of that together and it means we were made to be friends with Jesus! Forever!

Maybe you weren’t lacking for friends and still aren’t, but I have to believe that for most of us, we all want to feel wanted. We want friendship to be reciprocated. We get to have that with Jesus. We don’t have to imagine it either. He says it clearly in Matthew 28:20. “…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

Beyond His constant presence in our lives, no other friendship can compare to one with Jesus. We can be ourselves. The good, the not so good, and the really not so good.

This next part might sound mean, but it’s truth. If we’re feeling distanced fromJesus, it’s us, not Him. I know I’m guilty of distancing myself from God. Sometimes just because I’m busy and honestly, sometimes it’s on purpose. I question things or get frustrated when things don’t align with how I think they should go. So, I kind of give God the silent treatment. Which is really dumb. But it’s true. It’s also not effective at all. I don’t recommend it.

Lately, I’ve been trying to engage with God in conversation all throughout the day. I still have times of intentional prayer. But the rest of the day, it’s almost like I approach Jesus as my imaginary friend. Except He’s really real. And as silly as it sounds, since I’ve been watching “The Chosen,” it makes engaging with Jesus feel easier.  As I’m going about my day, thinking random thoughts, I picture Jesus looking like Jonathan Roumie and it seems the tiniest bit more tangible by putting a face and voice to our chats.

Before anyone gets mad, I’m not saying Jonathan Roumie looks like Jesus, sounds like Jesus or is Jesus. I’m just saying by imagining the actor, his voice and mannerisms, it makes my everyday conversations and reading scripture different. It makes it feel kind of interactive. 

A relationship or a friendship, with Jesus is definitely different from our everyday life friends. It involves having faith. Faith is a difficult thing to see or feel when life isn’t going how we’d imagined. The world is a broken place. We are broken people. At least I know I am. I think areas of hurt and weakness make it hard to walk in the truth that Jesus promises.  But, our faith can be a very real and tangible thing by reading God’s Word, talking through situations, venting our emotions, and experiencing our relationship with Jesus as our friend. Our very real, genuine, never absent, friend.