Daly Focus Blog
Do you ever feel small and insignificant – like the lowly plankton, tiny organisms that drift aimlessly in the ocean with no obvious sense of purpose?
If so, Sadie Robertson of the Duck Dynasty family has an encouraging word for you. She wants you to know that even plankton is significant to God. Did you know that plankton is crucial to the world’s ecosystem? Not only are they important to the ocean’s food chain, they also produce 50 percent of the world’s oxygen.
A door-to-door salesman from a local cable company stopped by Dave and Ashley Willis’ house and gave them his best pitch. At first, his offer sounded amazing. He promised his company would take good care of Dave and Ashley by giving them the best package at the best price.
The deal went south when Dave asked the salesman, “So how long is this package and price valid for?”
“Twelve months,” the salesman said.
“What happens after that?” Dave asked.
My friend and new Focus on the Family colleague, Dr. Meg Meeker, is a highly acclaimed pediatrician who has spent the past 30 years treating children, helping parents, and writing, teaching and speaking on numerous issues that impact the family. One of the best things I appreciate about Dr. Meg is that she’s practical and regularly addresses the issues parents and children are facing.
Today, I pose a question to her that I think every parent has asked or pondered:
Is the affirmation you give your kids hurting or helping them?
Racism is a problem in America.
That much is obvious. What isn’t so obvious is what to do about it. Nothing society has dreamed up has eradicated it. In fact, one could argue that certain movements seeking positive change have deepened the cultural divide rather than bridged it.
Inadvertently or intentionally, the underlying cultural message has often been “choose your side.” Stand against the black community or stand for the black community. Stand against the white community or stand for the white community.
When you ask couples which household issues influence the success of a marriage, things like kids and finances usually rise to the top. But did you know that chores rank third on that list?!
How can something as simple as housework fuel conflict in a marriage? Rather easily it turns out. As we all know, life gets busy. Not long after the “I do’s,” couples tend to get focused on (or maybe I should say, “distracted by”) the household tasks they care about, while forgetting the burdens their spouse is carrying.
The Bible begins with marriage and ends with marriage.
That ought to tell us something about the importance God places on it. He’s infused it with profound meaning, both as a cultural institution and as one of the most significant relationships we can experience. It’s the bedrock of God’s design for families.
So where does that leave singles?
Throughout the Bible we’re reminded that God created us for community. No one is meant to be alone.
One of the most heartbreaking letters I’ve read was from a grown woman who wrote to Focus and recounted the divorce of her parents when she was a little girl. Her dad told her, “Your mom and I aren’t capable of being together, so I’m leaving. But I’ll always be there for you. I’ll see you on weekends. I’ll see you on your birthday.”
She never saw her dad again.
That father made a lot of promises, and never kept one.
“What do you do?”
That’s one of the first things people ask when they’re getting to know you. Or it’s one of the first things we offer to others to describe ourselves. We define who we are by what we do.
But the “dark side” to a lifestyle ruled by opportunity, hard work, and prosperity is that we get caught in a performance trap. We believe our value and worth as people is measured solely by what we achieve, what we acquire, or what we produce.
Did you know that about 39 percent of evangelicals believe that “mercy killing” for someone who’s suffering is morally permissible?
That raises another question: How many Christians today understand the Bible’s perspective on suffering?
Few people have the credibility to address issues as poignant as suffering and the value of human life like Joni Eareckson Tada. Fifty years ago, she broke her neck in a diving accident and was left a quadriplegic. Since then, she’s been a tireless advocate for people with disabilities and has stood against the growing movement that promotes suicide for disabled and disadvantaged people.
Marci Seither and her husband owned a sawmill in Northern California. A customer hired them to remove a huge tree from the spot where their new home would be built. The homeowners thought it a shame to lose such a beautiful tree and planned to recycle the lumber by using it in the house’s construction.
Once the tree was cut down, however, they discovered that the wood was too weak to be used. The tree rings were too far apart.
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.
