Helping Those Who Don't Want Help
Overview
Warm hearted but hard nosed.
One of the modern myths is that ministers lead sheltered lives. A person who swears in the presence of a pastor will often stop and say, “Oh, excuse me, Reverend,” as if pastoral ears are unaccustomed to such indelicate terms.
If anything, pastors are more acquainted with the effects of human depravity. Each week brings situations of power, conflict, adultery, and abuse. The Seven Deadly Sins are not just sermon topics—they’re daily adversaries.
Some of the toughest situations deal with people who need help but won’t admit it—or won’t accept it. The man, for instance, who takes his wife for granted, puts his marriage on autopilot, and doesn’t notice or care that his wife is starving emotionally. Or the single woman who bounces from one job (or relationship) to the next, never satisfied, always looking for something else.
This book offers real-life stories of ministers who have taken the initiative with people who were not asking for help. It shows the state of the art in “the ministry of taking the first step.”
This is the seventh volume of THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY, a continuing series from LEADERSHIP, the practical journal for church leaders published by Christianity Today, Inc. Others in the series have included Well-Intentioned Dragons and Learning to Lead. More than a collection of theory, THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY provides practical, proven ways to handle the most difficult areas of everyday church life.
Top Highlights
“2. Fear that we may have to negotiate the non-negotiables.” (Page 35)
“5. Because pragmatically, people’s lives have been turned around by someone stepping in.” (Page 40)
“3. An assumption that a person’s actions and attitudes are willfully chosen.” (Page 35)
“Laurence J. Peter once said, ‘Speak when you’re angry—and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.’” (Page 52)
“I give it my best shot in two or three meetings to see if there are any indications of healing. I’m a counselor, not a psychotherapist. The difference: Counselors put bandages on the wounded so natural processes can help them heal. But when a person is continually ripping the bandages off the wound so it will never heal, it’s time for the psychotherapist.’” (Page 51)
Product Details
- Title: Helping Those Who Don't Want Help
- Author: Marshall Shelley
- Publisher: Word Books
- Publication Date: 1986
- Pages: 181
Marshall Shelley is editor-in-chief of Leadership Journal and editorial vice president of Christianity Today International (CTI). Shelley studied journalism at Bethel University and earned a Master of Divinity in theology from Denver Seminary where he subsequently served as a board member for nearly a decade. He has also studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Wheaton College Graduate School, served as a board member for the American Tract Society, and held pastoral staff positions in his hometown of Denver, Colorado.
Marshall joined CTI after developing his journalistic skills at David C. Cook Publishing Company and The Denver Post. He is the author of several books including Well-Intentioned Dragons, several volumes in the Fresh Ideas series, the Library of Leadership Development, and the Library of Christian Leadership. He also served as general editor of The Quest Study Bible.
Shelley and his wife, Susan, live in Wheaton, Illinois, and have five children, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren.