Fortune Cookies and Friendship

One on my favorite places to eat are good Chinese restaurants.  The American tradition of Fortune Cookies is fun for our family.  We try to make something out of them and see what laughs these "fortunes" generate.  One visit produced "fortunes" that seemed connected and lead to the following "Sermon from Fortune Cookies."  Each cookie seemed to focus on friendship.  The wise man reveals; Prov 27:17 “Where would we be without the friends who shaped us?”

Fortune Cookie #1: The Only Rose without a Thorn is Friendship
Prov 17:17, “A friend loves at all times,”
Prov 18:24, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly,”

I went out to find a friend,
But could not find one there,
I went out to be a friend,
And friends were everywhere.

Fortune Cookie # 2: Share Your Joys and Sorrows
Rom 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”
Jas 5:16, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another,”
“one-who-carries-my-sorrows-on-his-back”

Fortune Cookie # 3: You Will Be Called Upon to Help a Friend in Trouble
Prov 27:10, “Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend,  Nor go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity;  Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.”
Gal 6:1-2, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

The following quotes demonstrate the universal need for friends.

• “Some make enemies instead of friends because it is easier.” – E.C. Mckenzie
• “Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.” – Benjamin Franklin
• “If you really want to know who your friends are: make a mistake.”  – The Bible Companion
• “So long as we love we serve. No man is useless while he is a friend.” – R. L. Stevenson
• "We are mistaken if we think that people are simply looking for friendly churches; they are looking for friends." - David E. Garland.

Scott

Top Ten Human Relationship Tips

From the bottom of a pile of papers on my desk comes today's Top Ten Human Relationship Tips (a.k.a Top Ten Ways to Make Friends or Keep Them).

10. Speak to people: There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting - Phil 1:3

9. Smile at people: Some suggest it takes 72 muscles to frown and only 14 to smile - Phil 4:8

8. Call people by name: The sweetest music to any one's ears is the sound of his or her own name - Matt 7:12.

7. Be friendly and helpful: If you would have a friend, be one - Prov 18:24.

6. Be cordial: Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure - Eccl 9:10.

5. Be interested in people: You can like everybody if you try - Gen 1:27.

4. Be generous with praise while cautious with criticism: Praise when you have opportunity - Prov 3:27 and season all your speech - Eph 4:29ff.

3. Be considerate of the feelings of others: They will appreciate it - Eph 4:32.

2. Be thoughtful of others opinions: You are not right 100% of the time, so listen to them - Phil 2:3-4.

And the NUMBER ONE Human Relationship Tip. . .

1. Be ready and willing to SERVE - 1 Pet 4:10.

Who Cares?

Depression hurts. Currently in the US pharmaceutical companies are running advertisements for different medications for the treatment of depression. When one suffers from any level of depression they need encouragement. They need to know someone cares. Even if you are simply feeling "down" or "blue" you need reassurance that someone cares. If you have your moments of self-doubt or if you ever feel alone know the following:

1. Your real friends care - Prov 27:9, "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel."

2. Your family cares - Matt 7:9-10, "Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?"

3. The Creator cares - Rom 8:31-32, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"

4. The Savior cares - John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

BTW -- I care too, even if I do not know you personally. I daily pray for you as a reader of this blog.

Scott

Friends

Wednesday night began our Summer Series at Parrish church of Christ. This summer our theme is Building Together with God. On June 3, my friend Jeremy Houck spoke about Building through Unity. During his outstanding lesson he pointed out that many think unity is total agreement with my opinions and doing what I want done. To illustrate he shared a favorite poem my Shel Silverstien:

Friendship
I know a way to stay friends forever,
There's really nothing to it,
I tell you what to do,
And you do it.

That poem is touching and funny only because too many people think that way. My challenge for you and me is that we learn how not to be from Shel Silverstein and learn how to be from Paul, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" Phil 2:3-4 ESV.

Have a great week end!
Scott