“I know this isn’t unusual, but my husband doesn’t have any interest in church. He doesn’t mind if the children and I go, but he refuses to come with us. How can I explain this to them, without sounding like I’m tearing down their father?”
“My husband travels a lot, and last year he finally admitted he had a girlfriend in another city. At first, he said that if I didn’t like it I could just leave, but now he’s moved out and says he’s filing for divorce and then marrying her. Have you ever seen a marriage like ours be saved? I’m an emotional wreck.”
“Are the Ten Commandments found in the Bible, or did some church make them up? I’ve heard of them all my life, but I don’t come from a religious family so I’ve never had an opportunity to study them. Are they still important?”
“I’d like to start going to church, but the only time I’ve been no one greeted me or made any attempt to make me feel welcome. I guess they realized I didn’t belong. Maybe I’m just not cut out for churchgoing.”
“What do you think about someone who claims to be a Christian, but thinks nothing of gossiping about other people, lying, or things like that? My neighbor is like that, and her attempts to get me interested in her church really turn me off. ”
“I’ve always been an optimistic person, believing we can solve our differences and create a better, more peaceful world. But frankly it’s been harder for me to think this way recently. Will we ever see true world peace?”
“I’d probably enjoy my job more if it weren’t for my boss. He’s always criticizing me and pointing out things he thinks I could have done better, and he never has a good word to say about anything. I need the job, but this is really getting me down. How should I react?”
“My doctor just called to say I need to go back to the radiologist for another X-ray, because something suspicious showed up on the first one. But I can’t face going back. I’m so frightened that I might have breast cancer. I know that’s stupid, but I can’t help it. Why is God doing this to me? ”
“We had a big debate the other day in our Bible study class about which is the more damaging emotion—anger or hatred. We couldn’t decide, but wondered what you’d say.”
“I can’t help my feelings of jealousy, although I’ve tried. For example, if I see my husband talking with another woman, I’m always afraid they’ll get too friendly. He gets upset at me for this, but he just doesn’t understand my feelings.”
“You preachers are always saying we need to change our behavior and become better people, but I don’t agree. I think we need to learn to accept ourselves just as we are, and quit feeling guilty over our shortcomings. We’ll never be perfect anyway, so why worry about it?”
“I’m probably more fearful than most people, but why shouldn’t I be? After all, the world is a scary place and a lot can go wrong. My husband says I shouldn’t be so worried about things, but I can’t help it. I guess it’s just my personality.”