Advice on things you've never experienced

One of the realities of having a role like I do in a church is I often have people discussing their problems with me and getting advice.

But sometimes those questions are things that I myself do not have any personal experience with.

The main one at the moment is parenting. Working with Mum's so much, I am asked often things like "How should I pray for my kids?", "How do I explain to my kids about other religions?", "How can I get my child to read their Bible", "What should I do if my teenager stops talking to me?", "How do I help my kid cope with bullying".

And now I find myself preparing a session on how to encourage your children's Christian faith for the Mum's Bible study I lead!

While much of this relates to my particular role, this is not a new experience for me. I discipled women who were dating when I had never had a boyfriend.

And sometimes I felt completely inadequate, and a little bit uncomfortable- longing to find someone else who could do the job for me who is more "experienced"!

But there is a few things I've realised.

Yes you can't help with everything.

Yes there are things that you can't understand until you've experienced them.

And yes, I do think about and research and ask questions to those who have been through these experiences and can share the knowledge they have gained.

But the biggest thing I've found when faced with questions about life situations that I've never experienced is that the Bible often has something to say about them.

I have never had to discipline a child

But I know something of what the Bible says about discipline. And so rather than being caught up with feelings of inadequacy, I turn to God's Word and together me and my friend work out what our good God has to say that might help guide them in that particular situation.

When I was 22 I had a women who was a great deal older than me ask me advice about a situation with her husband. I was completely shocked to be asked, surprised that she would think I had anything to say. For a moment I was speechless

But I did have something to say.

I just told her what the Bible said about that particular issue.
And she did it.
love B