Why Christian Radio?
Not long ago on my Intentional Living program, I got a call from a man named Rick. He was 42, divorced and a single parent. His son and his girlfriend and their baby were living with him. He was at a dead-end job. He couldn't seem to follow through with plans to improve his lot in life. He had a way of talking himself out of the truth of his commitments and his dreams were crashing before he could even get them off the ground. I could hear the weariness in his voice.
Rick was nakedly honest about his shortcomings. Years earlier, he'd walked with Jesus, but somewhere along the line, he strayed from the path. He admitted he didn't go to church and he wasn't even sure he had a Bible in the house.
And yet, Rick felt compelled to listen to Christian radio. He kept Family Life Radio and Intentional Living on in his home all the time. Why? He told me he was overwhelmed by the baby crying, the stress on his job, financial problems. Having Christian radio on in the background just made him feel better. Family Life Radio and Intentional Living reminded him that there was a better way to live, something bigger than his immediate circumstances. It gave him hope.
I told Rick that were wired to be fed the spiritual nutrition of God. Christian truth takes us outside the box of our limitations. Something deep inside Rick hungered for the truth even if it meant facing difficult facts about his life and his choices. Listening to Christian radio was one thing that kept him tethered to God's Truth.
One of the reasons I like radio so much is that television is a passive medium. When you watch television you're just there and you're taking it in. With radio, its the theater of the mind where you can listen to what's being sung or said and really engage with it. Radio is truly an interactive medium. If you've ever driven at night on a deserted interstate, you know what a lonely feeling that can be. But if you're tuned to a Christian radio station, you don't feel quite so alone. Radio is immediate and it's personal. And Christian radio acts as a conduit for the Holy Spirit to reach out and touch individual minds and hearts with just the right word at just the right time.
I never cease to be amazed at how the Holy Spirit uses Intentional Living to minister to people at the point of their need. Very little of what I do on the air is scripted. I may have a couple of quotes written down, or some seed thoughts to serve as a jumping-off place for the program. When people call in, I get to be there in real time when light bulbs go on in their heads and they begin to see their lives and situations from a new perspective; that's God at work, through our program.
What if we didn't have Christian radio? What would happen to the Ricks of the world? That's why it's so important that you continue to support us with your prayers and financial gifts. The world needs Christian radio and specifically, Family Life Radio and Intentional Living. We truly are a voice in the wilderness in these stressful, uncertain times. Let's do everything we can to keep that voice from going silent.
For Families,
Dr. Randy L. Carlson
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