Daly Focus Blog
Have you ever felt alone and unloved?
Have you ever felt rejected by friends? Coworkers? A family member?
All of us have felt that way at some point. But what if that isolation lasted for years and you saw no way out?
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “A Man Called Norman,” we’re airing a timeless message about friendship, hope, and love, even in a hopelessly lonely situation.
If you’ve not heard it, or if you’re new to Focus on the Family, allow me to briefly introduce this program to you.
Consider this: according to The New York Times, 201 powerful men have been exposed for their mistreatment of women in recent years. Titans of the business world, of politics, and of the entertainment industry. Their behavior cost them their reputations and ended their careers. A few of the men wound up in jail. Or dead.
The question our culture must answer is, “Why did those 201 men believe that their power gave them the right to mistreat anybody?” How did these men become so bereft of a moral compass?
As the saying goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.” It means that we naturally feel most comfortable around people who look like us and think like us.
That tendency can cause us to miss out on relationships with people who hold different perspectives than us and on the opportunity to learn from them.
God is more diverse than we often imagine Him to be. He created human beings in His image, so every person is God’s image-bearer.
Anxiety is rampant in our culture. It’s rampant among Christians as well. Anxiety is a pandemic all its own. We’re stressed relationally, emotionally, financially, and many of us physically.
That’s no accident. Relational, emotional, physical, and financial health are the four legs of a chair that give our lives a sense of security and peace. They’re also the four areas of our lives that are subject to intense stress and anxiety.
During these times, we can find comfort in the words of Jesus: “In the world you will have tribulation.
How do you know you’re in an emotionally abusive marriage?
You are regularly:
Dismissed.Deceived.Dominated.Degraded.Diminished.
A random careless comment from your spouse is one thing. But when you are regularly mistreated, it’s a pattern. A destructive pattern.
As a matter of course, you’re not free to be yourself. You’re not free to express your own opinion or your own ideas without being shot down, ridiculed, or labelled as ungodly, unspiritual, or stupid. You’re not encouraged to be the person that God has called you to be.
Mom, are you tired?
Research says that you are. Studies show that the average mom changes over 2,000 diapers a year, does almost 200 loads of laundry, and loses almost 900 hours of sleep! And many moms work outside of the home as well!
Motherhood can be exhausting. Moms give, give, and give some more. Especially when the boys were young, my wife Jean often felt like no one saw or appreciated everything she did each day.
Let me ask you this question: If Jesus said to you, “I will answer every single prayer that you pray this week,” how many people in your life would you pray for to receive Christ?
Are you praying for them now?
Have you grown weary of praying for someone – or given up entirely – because nothing seems to be happening within them?
What if, as we pray for others, God does something in us? Through prayer, God molds our character, grows our patience, and empowers us to persevere.
Today, I’ve got a simple idea to help you build a great marriage. It’s fun, too.
Laugh together.
Studies show that couples who laugh are healthier, happier, and more connected. Even little giggles between you can create bonds that you’ll share forever.
Laughter is a powerful connecter. In fact, laughter is often more about connection than it is humor. Studies show that we laugh more when we’re with other people than when we’re alone.
Some of my greatest memories involve Jean and me laughing together in the car or around the dinner table.
In our Welcome Center here at the Focus on the Family campus, children have the opportunity to leave their prayer requests with us.
One of my favorites is from a 9-year-old boy who wrote, “Please pray for my brother. He wets the bed. And pray for me. I share the bed with my brother.”
Some prayer requests are much more serious, like the 8-year-old boy who wanted us to ask God to help his dad stop drinking and be healthy again.
Could you use a simple tip to improve your marriage?
How about 100 simple tips?
Matt and Lisa Jacobson, our guests on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Simple Steps to Improve Your Marriage,” actually have them for you.
After 25 years of marriage, Matt and Lisa looked at each other one day and decided, “Let’s each write down one hundred things that we’ve done to create a loving marriage.” When they compared notes, they realized that the present is always the culmination of little decisions that stack up over time.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
