With divorce rates soaring among Christians and Christian leaders, and family
problems overflowing in many ministry families, what are we to do?
My own marriage at one time hung together only by the fearful thread of
believing God's words through the prophet Malachi, " 'I hate divorce' " (Mal.
2:16, NIV). My wife, Judi, and I decided that the last person in the universe we
wanted to displease was the One who had created us and made us one.
No! I don't believe the church should be sexually educating children. That job
belongs to parents. However, even though most parents believe that they should
be talking to their children about sex, they simply do not know how to go about
it. Why? In most cases, their parents did not talk to them about it either. So
where does this irresponsible cycle of sexual silence stop?
I believe the church has a moral obligation to stop it by training parents to
be the primary sex educators of their children. Historically, the church is
responsible for imposing much, if not most, of the shame and embarrassment
attached to our sexuality that makes it so difficult for us to talk about it. So
it is time that we own this regrettable fact, and take the initiative in helping
parents teach their children how to be good and responsible stewards of their
sexuality.
When I think of innovation, my mind immediately jumps to products or
services—the telephone, the assembly line, solar panels, airplanes, wireless
Internet, etc. Tangible innovations that change the way we live. Yet another
kind of innovation—an intangible type—is ideas. Equally as groundbreaking, ideas
are often forgotten when we talk about innovation. The theory of relativity,
Newton’s laws of motion, loving your neighbor, paying it forward and ending
slavery all fall in this category and are definitely a part of changing the way
we live.
Brand names continuously introduce innovative ideas. Consider Citibank’s
“Live Richly,” Nike’s “Just Do It” and Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaigns—all ideas
and concepts that have changed or are changing the way we live.
One of life's most fulfilling experiences is being used by God to guide a
younger believer in his or her walk with the Lord. And the need for such
"spiritual parents" is great. This generation is crying out for spiritual
fathers and mothers who will rise to the call of leadership and help them
fulfill their destiny.
Spiritual parents are partners in helping their children discover what God
intends for them. They will do all they can to help their children reach that
goal. Author George MacDonald once said, "If I can put one touch of rosy sunset
into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God."
Effective ministry requires learning the fine art of listening. Jesus
specialized in this. He not only listened, He also understood. He was a master
at entering into a person's world through competent listening and powerful
communication.
If we hope to follow Jesus' example, where do we begin? Undoubtedly certain
personality types have a deeper propensity for listening. Yet I believe
listening is a skill that can be learned, developed and honed. With that in
mind, here are a few tips for improving your listening skills.
1. Be fully present when engaging in conversation. True listening is
the art of fully engaging someone—that is, being fully present during the
conversation. Such practice is rare in today's world. Offering your full
attention and presence in a conversation is a powerful force that has
life-changing consequences for the person being engaged. It demands a measure of
self-denial, as well as learning and much practice.
