What do you get when you combine steamed rice, greasy Mongolian beef, high MSG content, and a very out-of-date fortune cookie (I mean something besides violent stomach cramps)?

Last week, the answer was a Word from the Lord.

I was at a new Chinese joint, hoping to discover the perfect rice bowl (you know how rice bowls are–they’re either exquisitely divine or tragically destructive), when I got the word through my fortune cookie.

I was reviewing my sermon notes for “Ziklag” while I ate (Ziklag is my church’s monthly men’s gathering), and after finishing my meal and stowing my notes, I cracked open the cookie and dusted off the ancient wisdom inside. Before I tell you what I read, I should mention that the content of my Ziklag talk revolved around the importance of protecting and preserving our integrity as men.

As I unfurled the little, white fortune scroll, I expected to read something like, “Happiness will follow you” or “Be ready for new opportunities,” however, it was something else entirely that confronted me. The message read: “Take no risks with your reputation.”

I could have scrapped my entire sermon and simply passed around the cookie.

“Take no risks with your reputation.” 

That’s some of the best New Year’s advice we could receive, and if we follow that advice, guarding our integrity at all costs in this upcoming year, we will enjoy the priceless treasure of a clear conscience and a guilt-free heart. We’ll sleep well, knowing that the character we’ve built through our lifetime won’t be jeopardized by a careless, fleeting moment.

Our reputation will be safe.