Good morning Sunrise! Last Sunday, I made a statement that caused a bit of a stir, not a bad stir, just one that caused some wondering and scratching of the head. The statement was about one of the areas that I was going to work on this year to help me grow spiritually, that I plan to surround myself with more Godly peeps. I think the confusion came about that maybe some were misunderstanding the purpose as some would say, "I though we need to be more out with the "unchurched"? We are - that's our mission! But when it comes to growing spiritually, we (I) need to be around people who are going to help me to grow closer to God and will hold me accountable to deepening my faith - that's something only God-minded people will do for me. Fortunately, I have a lot of great Godly friends who will help me do that.
That's what friends do, isn't it? They sharpen us. But, while all who are our friends will help us, there are a certain few or maybe one who sticks out from all the rest - a best friend. Who has a best friend?
[Allow response]
What makes them better than the rest?
[Allow response]
A best friend is one who will sympathize with you when you are down. But then again, most friends will do that too. But a best friend is one who also wants the best for you. There's the difference - you can have friends who will help you when you're down, but a best friend is there when you succeed - even when they don't.
Now, let me put this in the proper vernacular for a Southern town like Winston - who has a "bestest" friend?
[Allow response]
What makes that person your "bestest" friend?
[Allow response]
Here, is a clip of when a friend becomes a 'bestest' friend.
(Clip from Lord of the Rings where Sam follows Frodo into the river and almost drowns)
The gospel writer, John puts it this way
John 15:13
This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.
Those kinds of friends are becoming rarer and rarer. With much of our world now being socially connected through mediums such as Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter, the opportunity to have deep and abiding friendships are steadily declining.
Think about it this way, what would our video clip look like if it were put in context of today's world?
Sam: [TEXTING] Mr. Frodo, where r u going?
Frodo: [TEXTING] I am going away and u cant come with me. :-(
Sam: [TEXTING] Right! I am coming with u. ;-)
Frodo: [TEXTING] SAM! U CANT SWIM! :-0
Sam: [TEXTING] glub, glub, |-(
Loses something there, doesn't it?
Well today, we are going to look at a passage of scripture, actually a whole letter from a man who knew the importance of real relationships. This letter is from John and it is written to his friend Gaius. It is known as 3 John, which so happens to be the shortest book in the Bible.
3 John
1 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth. 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone--and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true. 13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
[Prayer]
3 John gives us a clue to who John the Elder is and his person. We know that he is one who highly values friendship. If we look at 2 John, we will note that it ends with very similar wording:
2 John
12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
John knows there something about being in the presence of someone else, something that cannot ever be conveyed with paper and ink, or across electronic transmission. Presence is a gift.
This is an area that I need to work on and will this year. I know that I need to be more fully in the presence. Here's how:
- ignore the text messages as much as possible. Though I may not be able to be physically present with the person (I hope we won't be texting while in the same room), a phone call is much more personal and meaningful.
- stop surfing the Internet when I am with those I love. They deserve my un divided attention.
- let those angry birds cool their temper without my help. Do they really need me to bust pigs when I could be present with my family?
What about you? What small things can you do to relationally improve? Talk with those around you for just a few moments.
Just by making some small conscious efforts to improve relationally will help ensure This Year Will Be Different.
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