| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Be thankful” Our Bible verse for today: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” Proverbs 17:17 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Be thankful for friends” Do you have friends? I’m not talking about acquaintances. I’m not asking if you know a lot of people. I’m not even asking if you have friendly relationships with people. I’m asking if you have real friends. People you are comfortable with, who you enjoy being with, and with whom you know it’s safe to be completely open, honest, and transparent. And beyond that, people you know with certainly will be there for you in a time of need. Do you have real friends like that? Most of the people we know don’t fall into that category. Many people have nobody like that in their lives at all. That’s especially true for men. Most men have guy-friends that they sometimes do things with, but few men have real friends at the level I’m talking about. Sadly, there are also people who don’t even have friends of the lesser-degree either with whom they socialize and do things. I believe there are several important prerequisites when it comes to establishing, nurturing, and keeping friendships. First, you need to try to be the kind of person that other people can be friendly with. Some people make it hard for others to get close to them. They’re cold, withdrawn, and aloof. Sometimes they have a sandpaper personality that includes being snarky, sarcastic, and critical. If that describes you, you will probably find that people don’t enjoy being around you. Coming to faith in Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to begin transforming you into the person God wants you to be will go a long way towards making you more approachable for other people. Also, the old classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie has helped millions of people to improve their basic interpersonal communication skills. Second, go to places where people are friendly and prone to be welcoming and inclusive. A warm and friendly church would certainly fit that description. Third, there’s an old saying that goes “In order to have a friend you have to be a friend.” In other words, rather than waiting for other people to reach out to you, you need to reach out to other people. Instead of waiting for someone to be your friend, go make an effort to be someone else’s friend. Good friendships add depth and richness to life. The more real friendships you have the more blessed you will be. Thank God for the friendships you have and be sure you don’t take them for granted. Do the hard work to develop them, and then do what it takes to keep them strong. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
| Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. |
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Oak Hill Baptist Church 