Daly Focus Blog
“How much is enough?”
Somebody asked John D. Rockefeller that once. His answer?
“Just a little bit more.”
I wonder if most of us secretly agree with him. We try to be content, but it’s hard with so many shiny things to choose from and advertisers convincing us of needs we didn’t know we even had. We’re easily lulled into believing that we could be happy if we had just a little bit more.
But how much is enough?
Ask a 20-something a few generations back what their religious affiliation was, and chances were the answer would fall within predictable lines: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Jewish, for example.
Ask the same question of today’s young adults, otherwise known as “Millennials,” and you might hear something new.
“I’m spiritual,” they might say, or “I believe in a higher power, but I’m not religious.”
That’s because Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are more comfortable than any other generation in identifying their religious affiliation as “none of the above.”
In fact, about 35 percent of adult Millennials are religiously unaffiliated, according to Pew Research Center.
Exactly 40 years ago yesterday, on March 26, 1977, the first Focus on the Family broadcast aired – and a global, Christian family-help ministry was born.
The entire Focus staff gathered this morning to commemorate this milestone anniversary and celebrate God’s goodness over the years. Our time of reminiscing and worship ended with a rousing, heartfelt rendition of “Great is Thy Faithfulness” – because when we look back on these 40 years, God’s faithfulness is precisely what we see.
Some of you have just discovered you’re pregnant with your first baby. To that I say, “Congratulations!” You’re about to embark on one of the most sacred journeys a human being can undertake.
But it’s also one of the most challenging. Some big changes will be here before you know it. That precious new little one you’ll soon bring home will dramatically alter your entire way of life. From sleeping patterns to schedule changes, the demands on new parents can be rigorous.
Southern Colorado has been rocked by teen suicides recently, and it’s been devastating.
Our sons go to school in a district that has faced three student suicides in the past two weeks. During the last 13 months, there have been nine deaths in the district, between two schools located only a mile apart. And in nearby Pueblo, there were five student suicides last month. These recent deaths follow 29 student suicides that occurred in El Paso County (Focus’ home) between 2013 and 2015.
I like how author Joanne Kraft describes the hectic schedule she used to run herself ragged trying to keep. She swept through her days like a “busy mom hurricane.”
Can you relate? Do you feel like you’re always running? Is your “busy” switch permanently in the “on” position, and you just go, go, go?
If so, maybe you can also relate to what Joanne’s busyness cost her. Like the time she skipped her son’s baseball game for potato salad.
We’re currently in the midst of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14), a yearly celebration that recognizes the importance of this most basic human institution.
We’re also living in an age where cohabitation rates are increasing, in part because our culture increasingly doesn’t value the importance of God’s sacred and foundational gift to men and women.
Too many couples simply don’t see the value in getting married. To them, “marriage is just a piece of paper.” From their vantage point, marriage doesn’t bring any added benefits as long as they’re “secure” in their relationship.
Chuck Colson once said to me, “By age 10, your children’s moral compass is pretty well set.”
His wisdom confirmed what Jean and I already believed from our earliest days of parenting: we only had a few short years to impart biblical wisdom and a love for Jesus to our two boys. It’s a task that we’ve taken seriously ever since. But we also discovered early that “serious” doesn’t have to mean “dull” or “boring.”
Thankfully, there’s no magical “one way” for moms and dads to pass their faith on to their children.
There’s a risk in going too fast.
I’m reminded of the time a group of friends invited me to an afternoon of road racing at a Le Mans style race track. A buddy and I were handed the keys to Corvettes, Lamborghinis, and other high performance cars and given just one instruction: “Have fun.” The track had S-turns, hair pin curves, and straightaways where you could reach speeds in excess of 125 miles per hour if you were daring enough.
It’s back to work and school for many of us who took some much-needed time off during the Christmas season. Many of you may have even packed up your decorations until next year.
But did you know that the Christmas season traditionally runs through the feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated on Jan. 6 or on the Sunday between Jan. 2 and 8?
The “Epiphany,” or “Three Kings Day” is especially celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain.
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.
