12 Foundation Stones Course - TFI Online

Giving Them the Tools to Solve Their Problems Jesus is the great solution-giver. Help them look to Him for the answers, rather than drawingthem to yourself as a giver of solutions. You don’t have to know all of the answers. If you don’t know the answer to a question or problem,say so! The main thing is to lead your students to be closer to the Lord and to His Word. Then He’ll takecare of them.On Questions About Personal Relationships Generally speaking, you should aim to be honest with your students regarding obvious personalrelationships that they would notice and that are straightforward, such as who you are marriedto. You’ll need to prayerfully decide, however, if and when to explain more unusual matters, suchas if you have children with another mate, etc. If you are in a country where knowing aboutrelationships outside of marriage would stumble your friends, in that case, “less is more.” Betruthful, but you don’t have to tell everything. Often a simple explanation will satisfy your friends. If anyone in your Home is in a non-conventional personal arrangement (such as a single mother,a threesome, etc.), then prayerfully counsel together about how to explain this. Don’t embark ona “story” that is not based on truth and that you cannot complete or back up. For instance, saying“her husband is traveling” when she is unmarried is not advisable, as her husband is not going toarrive, and of course it isn’t true. Prayerfully decide how to answer such questions before they comeup, so that you won’t be stuck needing an on-the-spot answer from the Lord, especially regardingsomeone else’s situation, because you haven’t yet prayed about how to explain things. You should not discuss private matters with your students that do not concern them, for instanceproblems in your Home, someone’s impending marriage break-up, etc. Consider: “Is this going tohelp them grow in the Lord?” If it is not, why tell?18 Chapter 2: Issues—Answering Questions and Addressing Issues!