I don’t need to tell you that the state of the American family is in tatters.
And even for those of us who know God’s truth, our families are facing challenges like never before.
But Dr. James Dobson is on a mission and desires God’s truth for families to restore relationships nationwide.
Here are 12 powerful quotes from Dr. Dobson that your family needs you to hear right now.
Dr. Dobson’s Christian organization, ‘Family Talk,’ began in 2010 in Colorado. His heart was heavily burdened, realizing the current state of the family unit worldwide.
Particularly in our country, the evidence of sin’s destruction in our families is becoming the norm.
People don’t expect hope or restoration for our families, marriages, children. There are entire businesses (such as divorce attorneys) who thrive on the failure of the family.
Dr. Dobson thinks this is entirely wrong and was never intended by the God who created us.
Now reaching people through over 1,200 radio and online outlets, Family Talk is a thriving flagship program.
Dr. Dobson leverages his program to deliver Grace and Truth through “broadcasts, monthly newsletters, feature articles, videos, blogs, books and other resources available on demand via its website, mobile apps, and social media platforms.”
In only 9 years, Dr. Dobson has already spoken so much that calls for our reflection.
On Human Relationships:
“One of the most important responsibilities in the Christian life is to care about others, smile at them, and be a friend to the friendless.”
“When two human beings spend time together, sooner or later they will probably irritate one another. This is true of best friends, married couples, parents and children, or teachers and students. The question is: How do they respond when friction occurs? There are four basic ways they can react:
1) They can internalize the anger and send it downward into a memory bank that never forgets. This creates great pressure within and can even cause disease and other problems.
2) They can pout and be rude without discussing the issues. This further irritates the other person and leaves him or her to draw his or her own conclusions about what the problem may be.
3) They can blow up and try to hurt the other person. This causes the death of friendships, marriages, homes, and businesses.
4) Or they can talk to the other person, being very careful not to attack the dignity and worth of the other person. This approach often leads to permanent and healthy relationships.”
On Emotional Stability:
“Those who are the happiest are not necessarily those for whom life has been easiest. Emotional stability results from an attitude. It is refusing to yield to depression and fear even when black clouds float overhead. It is improving that which can be improved and accepting that which is inevitable.”
On a Man’s Role:
“My observation is that women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership.”
“No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.”
On Intimacy:
“I’m certain that most couples expect to find intimacy in marriage, but it somehow eludes them.”
“Sexual contact between a boy and a girl is a progressive thing. In other words, the amount of touching and caressing and kissing that occurs in the early days tends to increase as they become more familiar and at ease with one another. Likewise, the amount of contact needed to excite one another increases day by day, leading in many cases to an ultimate act of sin and its inevitable consequence. This progression must be consciously resisted by Christian young people who want to serve God and live by His standards. They can resist this trend by placing deliberate controls on the physical aspect of their relationship, right from the first date.”
On Choosing a Spouse:
“Don’t marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can’t live without.”
“Don’t marry someone with intolerable characteristics in the hopes of changing him or her. If you can’t live with someone who drinks or someone who isn’t a Christian or someone who isn’t clean, then don’t marry that kind of person. The chances for miraculous improvements or changes in behavior are slim. What you see is what you get!”
“It is better to be single and unhappy than unhappily married.”
On Parent/Child Relationships:
“The best way to get children to do what you want is to spend time with them before disciplinary problems occur — having fun together and enjoying mutual laughter and joy. When those moments of love and closeness happen, kids are not as tempted to challenge and test the limits. Many confrontations can be avoided by building friendships with kids and thereby making them want to cooperate at home. It sure beats anger as a motivator of little ones!”
“The footsteps a child follows are most likely the ones his parents thought they covered up.”
“There will come a day, much quicker than your parents would wish, when you will no longer be comfortable living at home. You will want to move out and establish a home of your own. After that time, your mother and father will be more like your friends than your parents. And someday, if they live long enough, you will be more like a parent to them than a son or daughter.”
On Saying “Yes, Lord” to God’s Timing:
“Some tragic mistakes are often made by those who acquire the reins of control before their maturity is adequate to handle it.”
“He sees those tears in your eyes. He knows the desire of your heart. And you will hear from Him — just in time to take the next step.”
“There is no indication that God explained to Joseph what He was doing all those years of heartache or how the pieces would eventually fit together. He had no way of knowing that he would eventually enjoy a triumphal reunion with his family. He was expected, as you and I are, to live out his life one day at a time in something less than complete understanding. What pleased God was Joseph’s faithfulness when nothing made sense.”
Dr. James Dobson has many more years of advice to share with you and your family.
Tune into Family Talk on one of its many platforms. To learn more, you can visit his website at drjamesdobson.org
