First Baptist Church of Herndon

FYI

Linda Soller | Sep 30, 2019

If we were chatting, I might say “Just so you know…”, but when writing I’m more likely to use FYI (For Your Information). Funny how saying the actual words, for your information, sounds snobby but FYI reads friendly and helpful.  Okay, so to the point. We have been talking at church and in the Drop-In class about relating to people around us and I think a big part of our success in this area depends on how we choose to communicate. 

When it comes to communicating some ministers/pastors/preachers (MPPs) take the approach of scaring you to God. You leave their sermon feeling afraid you’ll be going to – you know where! You may know what you are afraid of, but you may not understand what you can do to avoid it. Some MPPs take the guilt trip approach, so you go out into the world not necessarily changing how you behave or think but feeling guilty about everything. Other MPPs paint a picture of flowery meadows, and fluffy heavenly clouds, but don’t prepare you to face the real and sometimes scary world. I prefer the FYI approach. To me it’s the best of all approaches. FYI says here are the facts, you must decide, and you can come to God as you are, the good and the not so good. It gives you the tools to talk to God, to worship God, to praise God, and to see a path toward being closer to God.

Said another way, you shouldn’t just focus on past mistakes, the guilt you carry, the lofty but unrealistic wishes you might have. You deserve to know the truth, experience the community, find the strength of faith, and the courage of hope. And FYI – God loves you!

Have a great week! :o) Linda