Daly Focus Blog
The maternal instinct in women is soft and nurturing.
It’s also fierce.
The maternal instinct drives women to sacrifice everything for the sake of their families. I saw that kind of tenacity in my own mother. She took care of five children, worked two jobs, and strived to meet everybody’s needs the best she knew how. We didn’t have much in terms of material wealth, but her love for us was rich, and we were happy.
I’ve had to overcome a lot. My mom died when I was nine. My stepdad abandoned me and my siblings within hours of her funeral. After that, I spent time in foster care, and a couple of years later, my biological father died of alcoholism.
No doubt you’ve survived some difficulties of your own. Struggle is universal. So are the solutions for overcoming it. Here are four ways to break free from your past:
Accept the fact that your suffering cannot be changed.
Years ago, John, a recent college graduate, asked Dr. Gary Chapman and his wife if he could move into their home for one year and observe their family. John’s family of origin had been toxic, and he wanted to experience firsthand what a healthy marriage and family looked like.
Dr. Chapman’s first reaction was to say no. Was their family healthy? He and Karolyn’s first years of marriage had been characterized by selfishness, hurt, and brokenness.
Today, Peter Mutabazi is an entrepreneur, an international advocate for children, and the founder of Now I Am Known, a corporation that supplies resources that encourage and affirm children.
Peter’s passion for advocacy began in a small village in Uganda on the border of Rwanda. His father was abusive, beat the family, and frequently told Peter that he regretted having him as a son. Peter didn’t even have a name until he was two years old!
There is a staggering crisis among American men, and it demands immediate national attention. That is the focus of an important new report recently released by Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
The report, “The State of the Working (And Non-Working) Man,” explains that the number of American men out of work today is greater than it was in the wake of Great Depression. And what makes this crisis even worse, is that their idleness is largely voluntary.
I’m reminded of a story about a hunter who owned an unusual bird dog. While other dogs barked, pointed, and fetched birds, this one walked on water. The hunter was so excited to show off his dog’s remarkable ability that he invited his friend on a hunting trip. Each time they shot a duck, the dog ran across the top of the water and fetched the bird.
For hours, the two men hunted. Yet, the friend never commented about the dog’s unusual ability.
Do you have goals, dreams, or ambitions you’ve kept hidden? Maybe it’s time to break them free.
Had you been walking by Henry Ford’s Detroit home one summer day in 1896, you might’ve thought he’d lost his mind. There he was, ax in hand, chopping away at the door frame and surrounding brick of his shed. What you actually would have been witnessing was history in the making. Ford had spent seven years building what he called a “Quadricycle.” Today, we call it a car.
What if many of the problems and concerns most often raised by secularists these days were solved by solutions regularly championed by people of faith?
School districts around the country, including those in my home state of Colorado, are shutting down buildings and institutions because of a lack of enrollment. Where are the students going? In some cases, they’re attending private or home schools – but more often, they’re not going anywhere because the boys and girls simply don’t exist.
Many Christians who struggle with depression often feel isolated and ashamed. Admitting to feelings of despair within a community of faith often leads to judgmental attitudes or well-meaning Christians who suggest that depressed people “choose joy” or “pray more.”
But what are believers with depression to do when God doesn’t ease their suffering?
Author Sarah Robinson struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts from a young age. Even after becoming a Christian at age 15, her struggle continued.
Not every negative feeling is bad. In fact, a bad emotion can often point to something good. Like when you and your spouse can’t be together, but you miss one another’s company.
Consider the late President Reagan and his beloved wife, Nancy. Since their passing, their love for one another has become almost legendary. Even during the demanding eight years they spent in the White House their marriage remained a priority, and they openly expressed their admiration for each other.
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.
