Monday! Monday! Monday! ..... Reflections

Covenant Friendships

So get this, I walk into church yesterday and right before the message starts. They say there will be a special guest speaker. Guess. Who. It. Was?

John. Maxwell.

While I realize he's just a man....he's someone I've read and incorporated many of his leadership/relationship principles into my life. I really respect him. I really respect the anointing that is on his life.

So, needless to say....I was interested in what he had to say.

I HIGHLY recommend you watch the service. I have no idea who to link or hyperlink...but, send me an email and I'll send it to you! (that I do know how to do!)

I started to type out all of my sermon notes...but, then I deleted them because you have other things to do than read my notes. The gist? Most friendships fail because we don't have a strong enough commitment to that relationship. Our goal should be to raise the level of commitment from convenience to covenant.

He told a story about a couple of years ago when he had a heart attack. The docs told him to clear his schedule for 6 months. He instantly started thinking of all the people he'd have to let down by canceling the speaking engagements. Shortly thereafter, his phone rang and it was his friend Jack Hayford. Jack called and told him that he would fulfill each of John's speaking engagements for the next 6 months. He made John promise to let him carry that load, John found himself asking how he deserved that kind of friend. That's a covenant friendship, one not based out of convenience but grounded in unconditional love and commitment.

He challenged us that everyday we either made deposits into our friendships or withdrawals. We are either +'s or -'s. We have to be intentional to have a covenant friendship. Being that everyone is selfish, we have to go out of our way to invest in the friendship.

He ended it by telling a very compelling story about his dad. It really touched my heart.

I am so eternally grateful for my covenant friends. You each bless my life immeasurably and I love each of you.