Everybody agrees that the World is a busted up place full of hurt people who hurt people. You have been hurt by people you love and people you love have been hurt by you. You have even hurt yourself.
I've traveled to 6 continents and have had meaningful interaction in every country I visit. I see a very strong trend in human beings; namely, they/we are all made of the same stuff. And all of our problems are the same - just in different languages. Love and hate look the same no matter where you go. Pride and humility look the same no matter the social status. The rebellious teenager looks the same no matter what language he speaks. You get the point.
Here is the bad news in which all human beings agree (including yourself, if you're being honest). We are all messed up and are in a constant and desperate search to fix our brokeness.
Another proof that this is true: The other day I visited my friend who works as a hospital Chaplain. I passed by the Psychiatric ward and pulled a handful of books off the shelf knowing that it would make for a good illustration...
1) Breaking Destructive Patterns
2) SELF Matters
3) Raising Great Kids
4) Generation Me
5) A Walk In The Dark
6) Another Chance
7) When Anger Hurts
8) Fighting Cancer
9) Undoing Depression
10) Boundaries
11) Being Happy
See a pattern here? They are all self books.
"A self-help book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. The books take their name from Self-Help, an 1859 best-seller by Samuel Smiles, but are also known and classified under "self-improvement", a term that is a modernized version of self-help" (wikipedia).
They are all books that address our brokeness. They seek to manage the problems we (humans) face. They all contain some truth and since all truth is God's truth, all of these books have some value. But none of them are original. If all truth belongs to God, these authors simply stumbled up on something that came from God.
Without books on brokeness (i.e. self-help), bookstores would be out of business. Dr. Phil would not have a job. Oprah would not be the richest woman. Dr. Oz would not have a show. There would be no bookstores because
These books all show that there is BAD NEWS and we would spend money to figure out how to fix ourselves.
The GOOD NEWS is GOOD because it is seen in light of the BAD. In fact, there is no such thing as good without bad.
The Gospel (i.e. Good News) is that Jesus Christ lived (perfectly), died, was buried and rose on the third day, which conquered sin, death and all the junk that constantly pulls at us - the impatience with your kids, the hatred towards your spouse, the rebellion towards your boss, etc. etc.
More bad news: Before we were even born, we were sinners. Born physically alive and spiritually dead. And to top it off, as soon as we could walk, talk and drive, we committed all of the above - it was only a matter of time. And since we are all guilty, we deserved hell. Because righteous and holy God must punish such sin.
The good news: Jesus Christ paid that price in full. So he went to the cross as if he was the one that downloaded porn and secretly watched. He went to the cross as if he personally stole company money. He went to the cross as if he molested a child, murdered an innocent man, lived a fake life and tricked friends and family. He paid it all because he was obedient to God the Father. And the Father loved you so much that...
I've traveled to 6 continents and have had meaningful interaction in every country I visit. I see a very strong trend in human beings; namely, they/we are all made of the same stuff. And all of our problems are the same - just in different languages. Love and hate look the same no matter where you go. Pride and humility look the same no matter the social status. The rebellious teenager looks the same no matter what language he speaks. You get the point.
Here is the bad news in which all human beings agree (including yourself, if you're being honest). We are all messed up and are in a constant and desperate search to fix our brokeness.
Another proof that this is true: The other day I visited my friend who works as a hospital Chaplain. I passed by the Psychiatric ward and pulled a handful of books off the shelf knowing that it would make for a good illustration...
2) SELF Matters
3) Raising Great Kids
4) Generation Me
5) A Walk In The Dark
6) Another Chance
7) When Anger Hurts
8) Fighting Cancer
9) Undoing Depression
10) Boundaries
11) Being Happy
See a pattern here? They are all self books.
"A self-help book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. The books take their name from Self-Help, an 1859 best-seller by Samuel Smiles, but are also known and classified under "self-improvement", a term that is a modernized version of self-help" (wikipedia).
They are all books that address our brokeness. They seek to manage the problems we (humans) face. They all contain some truth and since all truth is God's truth, all of these books have some value. But none of them are original. If all truth belongs to God, these authors simply stumbled up on something that came from God.
Without books on brokeness (i.e. self-help), bookstores would be out of business. Dr. Phil would not have a job. Oprah would not be the richest woman. Dr. Oz would not have a show. There would be no bookstores because
These books all show that there is BAD NEWS and we would spend money to figure out how to fix ourselves.
The GOOD NEWS is GOOD because it is seen in light of the BAD. In fact, there is no such thing as good without bad.
The Gospel (i.e. Good News) is that Jesus Christ lived (perfectly), died, was buried and rose on the third day, which conquered sin, death and all the junk that constantly pulls at us - the impatience with your kids, the hatred towards your spouse, the rebellion towards your boss, etc. etc.
More bad news: Before we were even born, we were sinners. Born physically alive and spiritually dead. And to top it off, as soon as we could walk, talk and drive, we committed all of the above - it was only a matter of time. And since we are all guilty, we deserved hell. Because righteous and holy God must punish such sin.
The good news: Jesus Christ paid that price in full. So he went to the cross as if he was the one that downloaded porn and secretly watched. He went to the cross as if he personally stole company money. He went to the cross as if he molested a child, murdered an innocent man, lived a fake life and tricked friends and family. He paid it all because he was obedient to God the Father. And the Father loved you so much that...
"He gave his one and only son. That whosoever would believe in him (Jesus), would not perish, but would have eternal life"
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