Which of the following are similar to the ways you've served Christ in your family? [check all that apply]
• Taught your kids to see God's glory in nature
• Washed the dishes without being asked
• Played a board game with your kids
• Encouraged your wife to finish her master's degree
• Attended a child's open house at school
• Worked fewer hours to be with your family
• Set an example of a godly prayer life for your children
• Held a crying child
• Swung on the tire swing with your daughter
• Told your wife why you're still in love with her
• Told your son he's got what it takes
• Coached soccer
• Let you child correct you now and then
• Fixed the vacuum cleaner
• Taught your sons to ride a bike
• Listened patiently to a complaint of your wife
• Taped your child's artwork to your office wall
• Admitted to your kids that you were wrong
• Told your children how Christ entered your life
• Cleaned up vomit
• Taught your children to love books
• Been romantic without expecting sex
• Told your daughter she's smart/beautiful
• Set standards for your kids and stuck to them
• Dealt graciously with a busybody neighbor
• Peeled carrots
• Watched movies together
'The Trouble With You' Theme of the Week: Who's at the Controls? Sunday, July 18, 2004
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Men of IntegrityJuly/August 2004'The Trouble With You'Theme of the Week: Who's at the Controls?Sunday, July 1874Who Said It
Ben Patterson is the campus pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He's pastored churches on both the east and west coasts and is the author of several books.
In 1975, Ben confidently launched a new church from the ground floor in Irvine, California. He felt that without the mistakes of predecessors to hamstring his creativity, he and a few friends with like vision could get it right. He recounts what happened in the sixth year that caused him to lose his confidence in himself.
What He Said
It came by way of two ruptured lumbar discs. The doctor prescribed six weeks of total rest. The horrible pain prevented me from lying in bed. Those weeks were spent on my back on the floor. My eyes didn't focus well, due to the pain-killers and muscle relaxants. So I could scarcely read.
I was of no use to the church, I thought. So I asked my wife to bring me the pictorial directory. I decided I'd pray for every member every day. It took me nearly two hours. This was no great piety; mainly I was bored and frustrated. But toward the end of my convalescence, I said to the Lord, "You know, these times of prayer have become sweet. It's too bad I don't have time to do this when I'm at work."
"Stupid," the Lord replied pleasantly, "you have the same 24 hours each day when you're well. The trouble with you, Ben, is when you're well, you think you're in charge; when you're sick, you know you're not."
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