In his book The New Hide or Seek – Building Confidence in Your Child, Dr. James Dobson (of Focus on the Family) promoted a concept that has since been adopted by many well-meaning Christians. Dr. Dobson began his book by reciting the story of Lee Harvey Oswald who was the man that assassinated President John F. Kennedy. According to Dobson, Oswald had been put down, ridiculed, and unloved his entire life. Because of this incessant verbal abuse, Oswald sought to find something – anything – that he could pour his life into. The one thing he could do well was shoot a rifle. Oswald grew so enamored with shooting and so put-down about his own personal worth, that, one thing leading to another, he shot and killed President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Said Dobson about this sad case, “Oswald never published his early self-doubts and loneliness – nor would we have paid much attention if he had. But in retrospect there is little doubt that the overwhelming rejection of his early childhood led to deep discontent as a teenager, to his twisted adult life, and to his dark destiny” [1]
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(deep breath)
... I voted for Trump. There, I said it. It’s true. In 2016, I voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. And I think I’m still ‘ok’ with my decision. But this isn’t an article about how Christians should have voted in 2016 or how they should vote in the future, although that is a very controversial topic (there are different views even among the four of us here at PtP). This is an article to Christians who voted for Trump (like myself). Since Election Day, I’ve seen something troubling among Christian Trump supporters. I’m sure you’ve seen it too. Dear Parents of Teenagers,
Thank you for all you do to invest in the life of your teenager(s). You probably feel like you are constantly juggling multiple hats. You are the taxi driver (ready to pick them up/drop them off at whatever they need to be at), coach (helping them perfect that jump shot or throw that strike), personal tutor (working with them to finally get that math concept down), guidance counselor (preparing them to have future success) and, sometimes, motivational speaker (just trying to get them to get up and do something). You are all these and so much more! “Your skirt length is a heart problem.”
“Music with a 2-4 beat is demonic.” “Christians should never step foot in a movie theater.” Maybe you remember hearing things like this in your church. Some young Christians, when they look back on their upbringing, only remember a Christianity of “dos and donts.” They only remember their pastors preaching against rock music, clothing standards and movie theaters and the guilt they felt when they violated these commands. And the first chance they get, they flee.
What is your spiritual gift?
If you have asked yourself this question, there’s a chance you might have tried out one of those online spiritual gift tests. Typically rating yourself on a scale of 1-5, you measure yourself against statements like, “I seek to inspire others who are facing difficulties,” “other people tend to follow me,” and “I have a burden for the lost.” But how accurate are these tests? |
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