I have been working for my parents’ marriage ministry, Love and Respect, since June 2005. Since early 2008, I have been doing research to understand and help serve the next generation of relationships: dating, newly married, single, and some newly divorced.
Just a small demographic, huh?
In 2005, when I began working for Love and Respect, I directed the live conferences where my parents would speak. During that time, I would hear attendees say over and over again, “If I only knew then what I know now!”
That got me thinking very seriously, and I asked myself this question: “How can I help my generation know themselves, communication, and what it means to be obedient to God’s word now, as oppose to 2 years or 20 years down the road when they are disillusioned and wishing they were better prepared?”
I began researching and now as I write and speak, I often draw from the four areas that came to light as the sources that impact how we do relationships today.
Introspection
None = Distraction to the point of never assessing who we are. Unhealthy amount = Narcissism. Do we know who we are and what we believe, let alone who we need to be with?
Autonomy/Authority
Because of our transient life-styles, we don’t have much accountability or older, wiser counsel in our lives. It is very easy to live an autonomous life. Do we have any areas in our life where we submit or are held accountable?
Sexuality
Our overly indulgent or overly suppressive responses to our sexuality are both having an effect on our marriages. How has the church affected us? What do we believe about our sexuality?
Technology
From social networking, to video games, to the inability to ignore sound and advertising, we live in a state of constant distraction often coming under the guise of “information.” But what are we learning?
I don’t claim to be an expert but I will do anything I can to help facilitate our conversations about relationships and seek wisdom now. I hope we can figure it out NOW instead of someday saying, “I wish I had known then…”
