Friends Are a Gift: Robert Dixon

For the past couple of months I have been praying through 1 Samuel. Recently I got to chapter 18 where it says “When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” I found myself shocked by how the passage plainly stated this depth of love, and then repeated it saying, “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.” It is out of his love for David that Jonathan decides to make this covenant and give what is his to David. When I read this part I couldn’t help but think of the passage in Matthew 22 where Jesus says to “love your neighbor as yourself.” It seems pretty evident that Jonathan had that part down, at least when it came to David. I believe it is evident that their friendship is one that God brings about, and is a friendship that points toward faith and love and the power of both. Jonathan recognizing David’s anointing and his complete acceptance of David becoming King instead of himself is incredible, especially when you consider the struggles that have occurred in the Old Testament over birthrights and God’s blessing. Jonathan loved David selflessly. Through this love he accepted the future where his friend David is king and he is his second without any qualms.  With that in mind, I want to focus on how important friendship is and how friends like Jonathan are truly gifts from God. 

One of the most clear ways that I have experienced God’s love and care for me is through the incredible friends that I have. Friends are the folks you want to hangout and have a good time with. Great friends are people who challenge you to grow, and through your relationships teach you some of the hardest things to learn, such as how to forgive and be forgiven. Through your friendships you get the opportunity to live selflessly, and also be taken care of by your friends. Faithful friends are also the ones who are there when times aren’t good, and can offer a shoulder to cry on or an ear ready to listen. One recent example of this blessing was my college graduation. My younger sister graduated high school on the same day, and my mom decided to go to her graduation per my suggestion. So, my friends all came down from Arkansas to come and congratulate me. My friends here at The Wesley came to graduation, too. I didn’t hear anything as I was walking, but when I came off stage one of my professors commented that I had a lot of people cheering for me. That may seem like a small thing, but it meant a lot to me. Friends make the best experiences better, and they make the worst experiences more bearable. Friendships also point back to the most important relationship in our lives, that being our friendship with Jesus. In John 15:15 Jesus says to his disciples, “I no longer call 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.” We as Christians have all had these things made known to us and so, too, are among Jesus’ friends. I also want to say that when I think of my closest friends, I think of the people I am confident actually know me for who I am, and no one knows us better than the One who created us.

Realizing the gifts that all of my friends have been and continue to be in my life also is an encouraging thought for me as an Intern at The Wesley. My freshman year at LA Tech was a pretty lonely one. I came here with two of my best friends and they transferred after the first quarter. I went from having two really close friends in Ruston to having a few close acquaintances. It took me until my sophomore year to come to The Wesley and get plugged in, and this was largely due to Interns asking me to hangout with them. Whilst on these hangouts I remember making an effort to cut in and ask them questions about who they were because if I didn’t it felt like the conversation was all about me. I was encountering folks who wanted to know me, not just my major and where I was from. Now that I am an Intern, one of the main and most fundamental aspects of my job is going on hangouts with students, and I am always excited to learn more about them. All the while I hope that I can be their friend, and that I get the chance to talk with them about my friend named Jesus.

Robert Dixon (pictured here with girlfriend and former Intern Bekah Beck) is an Missionary Intern at The Wesley and someone dear to our hearts. He enjoys country music, playing guitar, fishing, hunting, and spending time in nature. We are grateful for his servant’s heart and his excellent leadership this year!