Three of the Scariest Headlines I’ve Read Lately
Every time I stand in line at the grocery store, one thing is always clear: we are under attack. You know what I’m talking about. Dozens of magazine covers flank us on all sides and scream sex, success, and selfishness. Take, for instance, these three headlines from popular magazines published this month:
Nine Ways to Be Married — More takes a look at open marriage, threesomes, and the perks of living together without a license.
Secrets to a Happy Marriage: Get a Little Bit Divorced — Good Housekeeping says a “faux divorce” can strengthen your marriage.
Benefits to Being a Single Parent — Parents says the great thing about being a divorced parent is getting every other weekend to yourself.
While not every article in these magazines is bad, some of them very clearly hurt, not help, those who are influenced by them. And while some would argue that articles of this nature are merely “art imitating life,” these magazines do more than reflect the culture around us—they often direct it—and the parents, children, and families in your churches are the targets.
Wise church leaders understand the messages that influence the people they serve, and they encourage people to live differently in light of who Christ has called them to be.
The honest truth is that the people in your church are reading magazines. In fact, studies show that 92% of Americans read magazines. For young adults under 25, that number is 96%. Whether they read them in print or online, we cannot deny that the vast majority of people and families in our churches are influenced by the magazines they read. Why not, then, serve these families with messages that build them up instead?
At LifeWay, we are working hard to provide great, compelling, and encouraging magazines formed by biblical insight for your church family. And to help, we’ve developed an affordable ministry rate that makes it easier to share these magazines with all your people. You can find out more here.
People will be influenced by something. As leaders, let’s work to make sure it’s something good.
