God loves good friends

God is a relational God, and his love for you changes the way you love your friends, said spiritual life director Gord Park. In the third chapel of Spiritual Emphasis Week at Smithville Christian High School, Park said our relationship with God improves the quality of our friendships.

“How great is our God? He is so great he hard-wired us for great friendships,” Park said.

Jesus called us his friends, and God created us to love friendship, Park said. “We have been given the incredible gift to love and be loved.”

If you focus on having a good relationship with God, it can’t help but spill over into your relationships with others, he said, because you will be able to see people and love people the way God sees them and loves them. Smithville Christian High School intentionally creates opportunities for community to grow and flourish because of the relationships that teachers and staff have with God, Park said.

“Each of your teachers has a trust relationship with God,” and wants every student to be known, loved, and valued, and to share that with others. “It’s amazing how many people graduate from this school and stay friends, Park said. “Something good is happening here.”

Park ended his talk by leading students in a guided prayer, in which they thanked God for being made in God’s image, and prayed for God to be present in their friendships.

Student Praise Team Ablaze led in worship with

• Great Things
• Cornerstone
• Reckless Love

Spiritual Emphasis Week took over the afternoon’s activities too, with groups of students, rotating by grade through a games room, an outdoor bonfire, an obstacle course, and a snack room with busking and karaoke.

“You can experience God’s greatness and love in your friendships,” Park encouraged the students. “Make yourself open to that.”