This morning my Pastor’s sermon was on embracing the risks of friendship. He started off saying a lot of things I was agreeing with and I was even nodding my head in agreement. Then he just had to go and say some things to make me think. The poor mice haven’t stopped working since!
I’m pretty sure my Pastor was talking to me this morning. I’m not much of an outspoken person, until you get to know me. I’m always nervous when meeting new people and tend to let my insecurities take over. I don’t like to RISK being rejected. I started thinking of how cautious I am when it comes to using the word friend or even being “friendly”. I’m not sure why I am this way but I have a few theories. My first theory is I’ve been let down so many times it’s just safer to not use the word friend and to be to myself. The second theory is I hold being someone’s friend very high. It’s not something I take lightly and I consider it a true honor to be called friend. (Okay, so maybe those aren’t theories…they are facts) I try to be a good friend, but I’m not always a good friend. I mess up or I feel let down because of something someone did or did not do. Then I let that get in the way of my friendship. I get consumed with thoughts of how I think someone thinks of me and that cycle of thinking just keeps spinning. Pastor put it very nicely this morning; let others come up with their own reasons to not like you. (Paraphrased) A friend sent me a message of FB the other day and boy did it fit me to the T. “Think too much and you will create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.” This is soooo me!! I’m working on that though.
I want to share with you what I walked away with this morning. I walked away feeling relieved because I have a friend who will never leave my side no matter how bad I mess up. My friend’s name is Jesus. "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.” (John 15:15 NIV) I also walked out of service accepting three of Pastor’s challenges. They are as follows:
Challenge 1: Make a friend. (I believe I’m working on that.)
I’m nervous about this challenge, but if God chooses to call a lowly sinner like me friend then I should be willing to take a risk and make a new friend or friends. This is way out of my comfort zone. Like, stomach in knots, and hands shaking nervous!
Challenge 2: Make a phone call to repair a damaged friendship. (I have a couple folks in mind.)
This challenge scares me, but I want to do my part in fixing a friendship.
• Note to new friend(s)….if you read this, please know I realize you could choose to not be my friend after reading this, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Challenge 3: Clear time for a friend you’ve been ignoring. ( I haven’t been intentionally ignoring anyone, but I know what I’m doing with my days off towards the end of the month.)
This is truly a challenge because of time but it’s worth the effort. I need to start making time for my friends. (How else will they know I care and stick around?)
I want to share this with you too: This morning I prayed for a small thing to happen. It was, in my opinion silly, but a simple gesture, and one I’m not real good at initiating. God is faithful and answered even the small, silly prayer. I will be bathing all my challenges in prayer as I set out to accomplish them. Can you identify with me on any of these challenges? If so, let me extend the same challenge to you: Embrace a Friendship with God and People. The risk is so worth it! Until next time, “May Yahweh bless you and protect you.” (Numbers 6:24, HCSB)
* If you would like to hear the sermon click on the link: centraltyler.org/
click on sermons and you should find today's, I promise you will be blessed! (might have to give it a day or two to be posted)
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