“Be Friendly”

Date: 10/19/2011
Speaker: Pastor Johnny Moore

Have you ever met an unfriendly person? It’s kind of sad, isn’t it? You smile and wave and they look at you like, “Who are you?” “What do you want?” So, we just keep smiling, keep waving . . . and keep going. People who are habitually unfriendly have not discovered the rewards of being friendly. Therefore, to them, friendliness is just a chore, and unnecessary. However, many times being unfriendly is a cover up of a deep-rooted problem called “selfishness.” Let’s take a closer look at some reasons people are not friendly:

      1. We have our mind on other things: Many times our minds are filled with all the things that we must do, places we must go, and people we must see. We are, at times, so preoccupied with the business of our own lives that we do not even see when people speak to us. The problem is that when this behavior becomes a habit, we will soon be labeled as unfriendly.

      2. We want to appear independent and secure: Some who are unfriendly may say, “I don’t need anybody” or “I can make it on my own”. But in reality, no one can make it on their own. We all need other people. Being independent is not a sign of security, but instead it is sometimes a sign of insecurity and selfishness.

3. We wait until others are friendly: In everything there has to be a leader. If you have to wait for someone else to be friendly before you will, it is probably a good sign that you need to work on your leadership skills.

4. We hold grudges: Some people are not friendly because of a chip on the shoulder. They are mad at the world. They are mad because they had to get out of bed; mad

because they had to go to work; mad because they don’t make enough money. They have been hurt by this one, stepped on by that one, taken advantage of by someone else, but, of course, none of these things are their fault. It is always somebody else’s fault. So they have decided, “I’m not going to be friendly to anybody.”

5. We have the “my group” mindset: Those with the “my group” mindset say things like, “I’m not waving at them, I don’t even know them.” Many times they are very “position—oriented”, and are friendly only when it might benefit themselves. I surely am glad God is not like that or we would all be hopeless. In fact, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

You see, there are times when all of us could be unfriendly. But we only hurt ourselves when we are. Why not start today and make the choice to be a friendly person. You will find that your number of friends will grow, you will sense the satisfaction of doing the right thing, you will discover the security that comes from being friendly, that God will cause your enemies to be at peace with you and that you will make someone’s day! So, be friendly!

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