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“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget,” said G. Randolf.

At the end of Jesus’ ministry, he told his disciples that they were now his friends. Let’s find out from Sara, 6, what it means to be God’s friend: “I can be friends with Jesus by loving one another.”

To illustrate Sara tells a story about one of my favorite subjects, ice cream! One of her classmates had two scoops of ice cream. Another had one scoop, but it fell on the floor.

“The one that had two scoops gave one scoop to the other one,” says Sara. “This is being friends with Jesus!”

Immediately after Jesus told his disciples to “love one another as I have loved you,” he said the greatest love is to lay down your life for your friends, which he was about to do. Then Jesus said this: “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you,” (John 15:14).

Yes, Christians loving one another is a command, but it should come naturally because it’s motivated by God’s love. Welcome to God’s circle of love. Jesus laid down his life on the cross for everyone’s sins. His sacrificial death and resurrection make it possible for us to receive eternal life as a gift by faith alone in Christ alone.

That same unconditional love empowers us to stop looking for love in all the wrong places and to give to others without expecting anything in return. This kind of love draws more people into God’s kingdom thus perpetuating God’s circle of love.

“Love can keep people stable,” says Piper, 8.

When God fills your love tank daily, you live from the inside out. As God’s beloved child, your identity and incredible value have already been established forever and will never change.

Your identity comes from Jesus’ indwelling presence, not from achievements or failures (Colossians 1:27). When God establishes your value, you can laugh at people’s attempts to devalue you. Instead of depending upon favorable circumstances, you rest in God’s love for you. You’re free! You’re not looking for people’s approval. If others applaud your achievements, you can thank the Lord and enjoy it, but you don’t need it.

“When I have problems, I talk to God,” says Emily, 9. “I do a lot with God. I love him very much.”

Friends talk about stuff. Friends tell each other things, even secrets. That’s the beauty of true friendship.

Consider Abraham’s friendship with God. He bargained with God to save the life of his nephew Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham started by asking God to spare the wicked cities if only 50 righteous people could be found in them. He kept negotiating to the point where God said he would spare the cities if only 10 righteous people could be found (Genesis 18:16-33).

“Our friendship to each other and to the Lord is not perfect, but His friendship to us is perfect,” wrote Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe.

Think about this: Unlike people, God never changes. Christians can take great comfort in the fact that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8). God’s love for his people never changes. It’s not dependent on us. Your enjoyment of God’s love may vary, but his love is consistently at 100 percent all the time!

Memorize this truth: Hebrews 13:8 quoted previouslyAsk these questions: Have you received God’s love so that you’re born again into his forever family? If you have, is God your friend?

(Kids Talk About God is designed for families to study the Bible together. Research shows that parents who study the Bible with their children give their character, faith and spiritual life a powerful boost.)