"The Hobbits, a care-free and peace-loving people from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world of The Lord of the Rings, have three tips for becoming a better friend in a troubled world." - Intellectual Takeout
Speaking as a friend: Learning to talk to non-Christians with sensitivity and humility - WORLD
"I’ll be the first to admit that it’s easier to turn on Netflix and turn off my brain for four hours after work than to go out of my way to find my friends and encourage them." - Pursing the Pursuer
"John told Kathy how much he appreciated her, but he wanted to go a little further and decided to tell the store manager." - IFWE
Republished from Baptist Bulletin April/May 2017 with permission. © Regular Baptist Press, all rights reserved.
by Daryl A. Neipp
In 2013, researchers conducted an online survey and discovered that 78 percent of users have experienced a rise in arguments and hostility within social media platforms.
Specific findings include these:
Today’s ideas about “biblical” love, dating, and courtship come from a variety of sources. Notable influencers in this area have been Bill Gothard, Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Josh McDowell and Richard Ross (True Love Waits). I’m sure all of us are affected by our own experiences as a young person navigating the mine field of romantic relationships, and all this combined together may add up to more confusion than clarity.
My biggest concern is the lack of Bible in “biblical” advice about The Search for a Spouse. The Bible guides us in several ways, including command, doctrine, principle, precedent, and illustration. Taking in all the preaching and teaching I’ve heard over the years would lead me to believe that there is a mandate for every Christian to focus on acquiring a spouse with an accompanying list of commandments so each can find The Right One.
We are not very quick to acknowledge the few clear Scriptural reasons we are given to pursue marriage: to avoid fornication, as a picture of Christ and the church, and to raise godly children. Even though Paul advocates for singlehood, we can ignore him whenever he speaks by permission and not of commandment. Right?
Why is it that the most difficult thing to do at times is ask for help?
I think we know why. When we ask for help, it means we are vulnerable, admitting our weaknesses, and probably owning up to a mistake or two.
It doesn’t matter that we know everyone has weaknesses and makes mistakes. We don’t want to be the one in the passenger seat. Although pride is self-destructive, we want to maintain control and handle problems on our own. It’s OK if other people ask for help—as a matter of fact, we encourage people to reach out. But this is one area where we don’t practice what we preach.
