POSITIVE THINKING: THE PROS- THE CONS. By Ken Carrillo and Gil Rugh

W
hat do you do when you are a
chemical engineer whose No.
1 characteristic is negative
thinking, you don't feel that
you have control of your life,
you are not happy with the direction your
career is going, and you lack good commu-
nication skills? Since those traits described
me fairly well about eight years ago, I
determined that I had two options-I could
.either accept my life as it was or try to do
.something about it
I decided to make some changes, but
wasn't sure how to. My answer came when
I responded to an ad in the Wall Street
Journal. It was for instruction in positive
thinking and goal-setting. At first, I was
only looking for help in improving my weak
areas, but after benefiting from several of
the programs that were offered, I accepted
an opportunity to become a franchise owner
with the company, Success Motivation
Institute.
Having To Face Reality
After changing careers, however, I made
a startling discovery. Establishing a new
business in Cincinnati was tougher than I
had anticipated. In engineering school they
didn't put much emphasis on interpersonal
communication, and suddenly I was spend-
ing most of my time interacting with peo-
ple. I had a low self-concept and many peo-
ple wouldn't have considered me prime
salesman material. It didn't take long to
realize that to make the business go, I
would have to becomemy ownbest pupil.
Fortunately, what I was selling was just
the type of training that I needed. Over
time, I could see that I was trading the
mindset of a passive employee for that of a
creative, innovative business owner.
The concept of positive thinking has
received a considerable amount of criticism
within Christian circles, some of it
deserved. Positive thinking, if it exalts the
self and ignores or minimizes God, is con-
trary to what we find in the Scriptures. But
I discovered a concept that freed me to
attain what God had made me to be and
intended for me to become. I learned that
positive thinking was more than a matter
of mental attitude. It was also gaining a
clear sense of personal purpose and setting
goals to achieve that purpose. •
The word "freedom"expresses how I felt.
I was free to act on my own initiative to
achieve the goals and purpose God had
POSITIVE
By Ken Carrillo
established for my life, rather than waiting
for others to do it for me. In the process, I
also gained the freedom to build relation-
ships with other people. My outlook on life
took on a new dimension.
Understanding your purpose and setting
goals are crucial to self-motivation. One of
the first things I did was to articulate what
I saw as my purpose-what I thought God
wanted of my life-and then set goals for
carrying out that purpose. The Apostle Paul
perhaps said it best: "This one thing I do.."
(Philippians 3:13). He was a man with a
definite singleness ofpurpose.
My next step was to put it on paper,
developing a written plan for achieving my
goals and setting a deadline for attaining
them. Basically what I was doing was
putting plans into action.
Finally, I used constant, repeated posi-
tive affirmation, to strengthen what I call
"success attitudes" and "success habits."
Failure Is A Fact
It is here where I think that positive
thinking receives the most criticism. People
think it requires going on some kind of
"mind trip," going through life like some
Pollyanna who refuses to accept everyday
realities. But to me, positive thinking
doesn't mean you will never fail. If you
attempt anything ofconsequence, the fact is
that you will experience some level of fail-
ure sooner or later. The key is what I call
"welcomingadversity"-recognizing that it's
going to come, so you anticipate obstacles
and plan how you will handle them when
they occur.
Since we know that we will experience
failure, we need to learn how to bounce
back. Having a clear purpose for your life
helps you to do that, because your energies
aren't centered around one goal or one area
of your life. You have goals in all areas of
your life that are carefully coordinated so
that every action you take leads you closer
to becoming the person you most want to
be. Evangelist Billy Sunday stated, "More
men fail through lack of purpose than
through lack ofability."
Meeting Expectations
There is truth to the fact that if you go
through life expecting to fail, you probably
will. Someone has said that the positive
thinker wakes up in the morning and says,
"Good morning, Lord!" while the negative
thinker awakens and declares, "GoodLord,
morning!" I prefer starting off the day by
thinking of ways that things can be done
rather than trying to discover ways that
they cannot be done.
I like to repeat the words ofthe psalmist,
"This is the day that the Lord has made. I
will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm
118:24). I don't believe anyone would criti-
cize him for being a positive thinker, but
that's what he was. He was consciouslycre-
ating a positive attitude, carefully choosing
his thinking habits. Since God included
that verse in the Bible, which I consider the
ultimate positive thinking book, it's a prin-
ciple I'm glad to accept. it
Ken Carrillo heads Carrillo
& Associates, a distributor for
the Success Motivation
Institute, in Cincinnati. A
1977 graduate of Georgia
Tech, he worked as a chemi-
cal engineer with Procter &
Gamble for five years before
choosing to "work with people, instead of tech-
nical activities and projects." In 1988,his SMI
franchise ranked among the top 25of more than
1,000across the country.
12 CONTACT,February 1990

THINKING
P
ositive thinking is sweeping
• through American Christianity,
and I cannot help but view this
. trend with alarm. Why?
Because Christians have aban-
doned their commitment to the total suffi-
ciency and authority of the Bible, trying
instead to wed the Scriptures to modern
psychology.
The roots of positive thinking are traced
to men like Sigmund Freud and Abraham
Maslow, whose stated purpose was to pro-
vide an alternative to biblical Christianity
in dealing with man's problems. Contrary
to what men like Norman Vincent Peale
and Robert Schuller tell us, positive think-
ing did not come out of the Scriptures; it
grew out of psychology-its adherents
manipulate Scripture to support it. In fact,
the prophets were pretty negative thinkers.
Need For Something More?
Positive thinking teaches that God's
Word alone is not enough for us to live as
He intended-we need something more,
beyond the Scriptures. But that is not what
we read in 2 Timothy 3:16: "AllScripture is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righ-
teousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work." If
this is true, why do we need psychological
"insights" and "truth" to make the ministry
OfGodin our lives more effective?
Christian psychologists tell us everything
from how to deal with sin to how to have a
Christian marriage. They have become the
authorities today, rather than the inspired
Word of God. In the average Christian
bookstore, Bible teaching books are clus-
tered in a relatively small section, com-
pared to row after row of psychology and
By Dr. Gil Rugh
"self-help"materials.
Most Christians don't want to go to the
Scriptures, study what God teaches and
then apply what they learn to specificsitua-
tions. They want someone to tell them how
to have a godly marriage or how to raise
problem-free teenagers. Our fast-food soci-
Is God's Word
sufficient only in
easy situations?
ety wants one book-or one person-to give
all the answers. Don't you sometimes won-
der how believers before the mid-1900s got
along without the profound insights of
today's revered Christian psychologists?
People have told me that my view is not
"real world," that society in the late 20th
century is too complexand our problems too
difficult to resolve simply by studying the
Bible. That must mean the Word of God is
good only for problems that aren't too hard
to handle, or maybe that the Bible is out of
date. But in traveling to other countries of
the world, I have discovered this attitude is
an exclusive characteristic of Christians in
the Western world. Believers in the
Republic of China, for example, don't seem
to need psychologists and positive thinking
experts to help them cope with their every-
day problems.
Others reply that since we go to medical
doctors for physical problems, what's Wrong
with consulting specialists in the human
mind? That analogy is fallacious. If I have a
tumor, a broken arm or some other prob-
lem, I can consult several doctors and get
basically the same diagnosis. If I go to a
psychologist, however, Christian or not, all
he will give me is his own guess. There are
an estimated 250 approaches to using psy-
chology; even Christian psychologists like
Dr. Larry Crabbe and Dr. Clyde Narramore
have serious disagreements on causes and
effects. So while medicine can be tested
objectively, psychology is totally subjec-
tive-we are left to choose which psycholo-
gist we want to believe.
Seduced By Psychology
Something is wrong with the church in
America today, but we don't want to face it.
When people hear this kind of criticism,
they are appalled, but that is because we
are unwilling to examine ourselves in light
of the Scriptures, as we read in Acts 17:11.
Even our evangelical, Bible-honoring semi-
naries are falling under the seduction of
psychology.They require that faculty mem-
bers all hold theology degrees-unless they
have psychology degrees. They may not be
expert in the Word of God, but if they are
trained psychologists, then it's okay.
Acts 20:30 warned, "Even from your own
number men will arise and distort the truth
in order to draw away disciples after them."
I'm not saying Christian psychologists are
not true believers, or you cannot endorse
positive thinking and be a Christian, but I
am terribly concerned that we are replacing
the Word of God with so-called experts,
whether they be Christian psychologists,
entertaining positive thinking spokesmen
or even celebrity preachers. When any-
thing, other than the Scriptures, becomes
the authority in our lives, we're offtrack.
We need to heed the exhortation in 1
Peter 2:2, seeking only "pure spiritual
milk," not some diluted, corrupted version
of God's revealed truth that scratches our
itching ears. The Word ofGod, coupled with
the guidance ofthe Spirit ofGod,is enough.:
it
For the- past 20 years, Dr.
Gil Rugh has served as pastor
of Indian Hills Community
Church in Lincoln, Neb. He
also is the radio Bible teacher
on "Sound Words," an inter- .
national broadcast ministry.
Dr. Rugh is a graduate of
Philadelphia College of Bible, Grace Theological
Seminary and holds a Ph.D. from the California
Graduate Schoolof Theology.
CONTACT, February 1990 13

VoI. 49. No. 1 February 1990
DEPARTMENTS
CUPBOARD
MONEY
SMALLEY
REVIEWS
TED DEMOSS
FEATURES
THE HEART AND SOUL OF EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT By James F Hind 3
James Hind discusses the desperate need in the marketplace for a new and different
approach to management, and offers a provocative recommendation.
IS POLITICS THE ANSWER? By Robert J. Tamasy 5
As he nears the end of his 28 years in political office, Sen. William Armstrong of
Colorado reflects on his own political career and the role of Christians in politics.
SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL By Robert J. Tamasy 8
Even though earthquakes are occurring all around us, there is one kingdom which
cannot be shaken.
ASSERTING MYSELF By Hugh B. Jacks 9
Hugh Jacks discusses his life-long search for success and security and explains his
revised attitude toward the myriad of current self-help books.
MAXIMIZE YOUR MOTIVATION By Charles E. Jones 11
Where does true motivation come from? Charlie "Tremendous" Jones says it is not a
drive or a feeling, but something much different.
POSITIVE mINKING: THE PROS- THE CONS By Ken Carillo and Gil Rugh 12
Should positive thinking be praised or treated with alarm? Ken Carillo holds one view;
Gil Rugh presents quite another.
SEE YOU AT THE TOP Interview with Zig Ziglar 14
CONTACT editor Robert J. Tamasy interviews popular positive thinker and speaker Zig
Ziglar and finds out why it always is "a great day at Zig Ziglar's."
Cover illustration from The Image Bank. Other photos by Gene Johnson and Robert J. Tamasy. Page 11photo
from Superstock. Special thanks to Chuck Mills and D.M. Steward for assistance with page 3 photo.
17
18
19
21
22
c
MEMO TO READERS:
Typically, the cover story for CONTACT
starts immediately, on page 3. However, for
several reasons, we have decided to move
the theme features on positive thinking and
motivation back several pages. Instead, we
start off with some intriguing thoughts on
leadership skills by James Hind, a manage-
ment consultant/author.
In addition, Sen. Bill Armstrong, one of
the most visible Christians on Capitol Hill,
explains why he is retiring from the Senate
and gives his views about the future for
Christians in public office. Because of this
interview, we elected to postpone our
planned feature on All-Pro football player
Anthony Munoz by one issue.
Regarding our cover story, we have tried
to look at both sides of the positive thinking
issue, calling on professionals like Zig
Ziglar and Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, as
well as credible businessmen. There's even
a "point/counterpoint" type of presentation
on pages 12 and 13.
~~?J
Ted De.loss, Publisher
Robert J. Tamasy, Editor
Linda Peppers, Artist
Gene Johnson, Associate Editor
Norlan De Groot, Assistant Editor
Duane R. Jacobs, Consultant
~
,,~CONTACf, A Magazine for Businessmen, (ISSN 0890-0442 is published bimonthly and copyrighted by the Christian Business Men's Committee of USA. The p~rpose of CONTACT is
to help Christian business and professional men 10 carry out the Great Commission in their personal and business lives. Subscripti~ns are. $1 ~.95 per ~ear ($14.95 In Canada). .
Third class postage paid in Chattanooga, Tennessee and additional post offices. Postmaster. please send all changes of address or circulation information 10: CONTACT, P.O. Box 3308,
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404. which is the national office address or CBMC of USA.
Member, Evangelical Press Association. Member, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
© 1990 by Christian Business Men's Committee of USA, all rights reserved. including translation. .. .
The Christian Business Men's Committee is an international evangelical organization of business and professional men whose primary purpose IS to present Jesus Chnst as Savior and
Lord to other business and professional men, and to train these men to carry out the Great Commission (Mall. 2 : 18-20: Col. 1:28-29).
CBMC of USA is a non-denominational, non-profit ministry supported by gifts from people committed to reaching and discipling business and professional men for Jesus Christ.

T • H • E
HEART & SOUL
OF
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENTMerging the corporate mind with the servant heart.
By James F. Hind
W
hat does Jesus Christ, dying
on a cross early in the first
century, have to do with my
trying to achieve economic
____ growth for a company late in
the 20th century? That question haunted
me for more than 30 years of my business
career.
Isaw a huge gap between the church and
the boardroom, the sacred and the secular. I
wanted to determine how what Ilearned in
church during a couple of hours each
Sunday morning could be applied in a prac-
tical, acceptable way during a 40 to 60-hour
work week. It seemed many other people
also desired to find a way to bridge that
gap.
About three years ago, Ibegan to formu-
late an answer to my question, after I left
full-time corporate life to become a consul-
tant. Recording my thoughts on paper, they
eventually became the nucleus of my book
that was published earlier this year, The
Heart and Soul of Effective Management.
Studying the life of Jesus through the
Scriptures, interpretative works and com-
mentaries by both clergymen and knowl-
edgeable lay people, I focused on how He
trained and developed his 12 disciples,
molding and shaping ordinary men with
different personalities, appetites and ambi-
tions.
As Christ interacted with these men, He
met their individual needs and also nur-
tured them in a caring manner. Christ,
although a tough-minded realist, motivated
his followers through softness, sensitivity
and generosity-He combined a corporate
mind with a servant heart. He fully under-
stood and faithfully practiced the most
important principle of human motivation:
People want to know how much you care

Unless business
can learn to use
work to help
people grow, it
will be reduced
to a lost soul,
insensitive to
people's needs
c
before they care how much you know.
The management trait Christ demon-
strated that impressed me the most was
servant leadership-His willingness to give
of Himself for the benefit of others. The
more I studied His life, the more I became
convinced that He embodied management
at its best, a style that can easily be trans-
lated into today's business environment.
Managers should view themselves as
developers of people, rather than "take
charge" heroes. They should help others to
thrive and flourish; in the process, they
themselves will succeed to their utmost.
Meeting Needs of Others
Servant leadership does not mean sub-
servience; it is not weak and submissive as
the name might imply.Rather, it is filling a
supportive role that puts self-serving inter-
ests and ego gratification aside, choosing
instead the goal of meeting the develop-
ment needs ofothers.
Neither does servant leadership abolish
the demands a goodmanager must place on
others-such as competency,obedience, dis-
cipline, excellence and hard work. It adds
an important dimension to effective man-
agement, linking corporate pragmatism
and compassion.
The keystone of servant leadership is
concern for others and an eagerness to com-
municate this attitude through actions that
say, "I'm for you." Management's dedication
to this higher spiritual purpose brings spe-
cial significance to the workplace, inspiring
a sense of devotion among the workers,
breeding both quality productivity and
effectivemanagement.
Feelings-not compensation, a corner
office, a title on the door or carpet on the
floor-are the greatest human motivators
in the workplace. In His daily interactions
with the disciples and other people, Christ
showed that He understood this principle;
contemporary research has confirmed its
validity.
With the pressures of merger-mania,
takeovers, competition and self-interest,
American management is largely losing the
art ofcaring for and motivating people. It is
shifting away from a caring attitude for its
people, concentrating solely on economic
growth and survival.
Recognizing People's Worth
While business books, videos and semi-
nars teach the how-to's of achieving excel-
lence, encouraging innovation, managing
change, learning to lead, gaining power,
negotiating and handling finances, few-if
any-tell how to help the other person
develop and succeed. Business America has
neglected our Lord's second greatest com-
mandment, "Love your neighbor as your-
self." There is a great need for the recogni-
tion of people's self-worth and value to each
other. Unless business can learn to use
work to help people grow,it will be reduced
to a lost soul, insensitive to people's needs,
known only for its power structures and
bank accounts, and driven solely by self-
interest and economicconsiderations.
The marketplace desperately needs a
new approach for people to manage them-
selves and others, one that returns spiritual
values to the workplace and gives people a
sense of "calling." Christ's teaching and
actions can show us the way.
As Christians, our ultimate goal should
be the advancement ofthe Kingdom of God,
and a servant leadership approach to man-
aging people helps us to do this. It provides
a positive witness for Jesus Christ because
if we live and manage like Christ in charac-
ter and feeling, people around us will get to
know Christ better-and be more receptive
to His ways. it
James F. Hind and his
wife, Susan, reside in
Knoxville, Tenn. His new
book, The Hearl an.d Soul of
Effective lfCJ1UJlfement,which
develops these ideas in
depth I published by Victor
Books.

•• •
Is ~o~;tc~·.
HEANSWER?
By Robert J. Tamasy
F
or Sen. William Armstrong of
Colorado, the 1990s signify both
an end and a new beginning. At
the end of this year, he will con-
_ elude 28 years in elected public
officeas he steps down after completing his
second six-year term in the U.S. Senate. He
had previously served six years as a con-
gressman and before that, 10 years in the
Coloradostate legislature.
During his Senate tenure, Armstrong
has risen to prominence within the
Republican Party and earned respect from
government officials in both parties as a
man of conviction and integrity. Early in
the 1988Presidential discussions, his name
was mentioned as a serious candidate for
the Republican nomination. But he is per-
haps best-known for the strong Christian
convictions that have shaped his political
philosophy, demonstrating that at least on
an individual level, matters of church and
state need not be held separate.
Recently, while attending the CBMC
National Convention in Nashville,
Armstrong reflected on his years in public
office,his future plans, and the outlook for
Christians in politics.
He said he had weighed the decision to
retire from the Senate long before his for-
mal announcement in February of 1988.
"It was a difficult decision to make in one
respect, because I have enjoyed serving in
public office enormously. But being realis-
tic, a U.S. senator has only three choice,s:
He can keep running until he loses, he can
continue winning and die in office,or he can
voluntarily move on to other things. I sim-
ply chose the latter.
"At the same time, it was not an agoniz-
ing decision, because I never intended to be
in Washington in the first place, and I cer-
CONTACT,February 1990 5

tainly never planned to stay. People can
easily stay in the job too long. The time is
right for me to leave. When I first ran for
office,I ran as a Colorado businessman and
I will always regard that as my primary
vocation."
Evangelism Has Priority
Anticipating his final year in the Senate,
Armstrong said he is "intrigued and fasci-
nated by the idea of changing jobs at the
age of 53." What he will do is not certain,
although he said his alternatives are var-
ied. He has a strong commitment to evange-
lism-he has spoken frequently at CBMC
outreach functions-and believes "the most
significant thing we can do is tell others
about Jesus Christ." Business investments,
banking and operating a television station
also appeal to him, and he says, "I may
even go back to schoo!'''
He expects to remain active in politics,
although his involvement will be "signifi-
cantly diminished. It's unlikely that I will
run for officeagain. It's not impossible, but
it's hard for me to imagine doing that again.
I see my future role more in terms of help-
ing others get elected."
With all the discussion about the need for
committed Christians to serve in govern-
ment, some people criticized Armstrong's
decision to step down, but the majority of
his supporters were very encouraging and
appreciative ofhis years ofservice.
"When I made the announcement, people
responded differently. Some of my col-
leagues did not know what to say. They
didn't know whether to say 'Congratula-
tions,' 'I'm sorry,' 'Are you sick?' or simply,
'What's the problem?' One good friend has
never said anything at al!. To voluntarily
leave the Senate is inconceivable to him,
beyond his frame ofreference."
Before George Bush solidified his grip on
the Gap Presidential nomination, a num-
ber of people asked Armstrong to consider
running for the country's top office. "It was
a great compliment. I did think about it
seriously and I almost did run-I was very
close to doing so-but I didn't feel right
about it. I did not sense that was what God
wanted me to do.When I fmally decided not
to run for President, I felt great relief."
Armstrong knows that if he had any
aspirations for the Presidency, leaving the
Senate would not be wise. "Once you are
out of public life, you are very, very quickly
forgotten. It's natural that people turn to
those who are currently serving in public
office when looking for Presidential candi-
dates. You generally think in terms of a
senator, a governor, or occasionally a con-
gressman, not someone who used to be in
office."
Neither Handicap Nor Advantage
Reflecting on 1976, when Jimmy Carter
was elected President as a professed born-
again Christian, and the 1980s, when the
Religious Right flexed its political muscle
with mixed results, Armstrong commented
that in 1990,being a Christian in the politi-
cal arena "is not a handicap, but neither do
I think it is a particular advantage.
"It's no longer a major political issue, in
my opinion. There was a time when being
too visible and identified as a Christian was
a political liability, but that time has gone. I
don't think it honors Jesus Christ to say,
'Votefor me, I'm a Christian.' Jimmy Carter
deserves the credit for making it possible
for believers to be more frank about their
faith."
Some Christian leaders have bemoaned
the failure to achieve a united Christian
voting block, but the senator disagrees. "It's
an important testimony, in a way, that men
and women who center their lives on Christ
do not all have to be in the same political
camp. For instance, I'm a great believer in a
balanced budget amendment, but I can't
say that is necessarily Christ's view. It's
almost blasphemous, however, to say so to
some Christians. I wonder if the person
wasn't right who said a few years ago that
in some churches, what you said about
lipeople who
center their
lives on Christ
don't all have
to be in the
same political
camp."
c

Ronald Reagan was more important than
what you said about Christ."
The United States is experiencing
increasing polarization between secular
and religious segments of society, but
Armstrong is not surprised. "It's natural
that every time you draw a line, defining
more sharply what you believe and stand
for,it's going to precipitate a reaction."
More Sophisticated
As a result, he said, Christians have rec-
ognized the need to become more technical-
ly sophisticated, savvy and astute in their
approach to the political process to accom-
plish their agendas. However, he cautions
against a belief that God's purposes can be
accomplished best through the political
sphere.
"There is a rising tide of cynicism cross-
ing all segments of society, even among
some Christians. The reason many people
don't vote is they don't think it matters.
Regardless of how they vote, they feel
things won't be any different. And in one
respect, I agree-for mankind's most pro-
found problems, I don't know of any anti-
dote except Jesus Christ."
That sums up what Armstrong (who has
been a Christian for about 15 years) terms
"the most compelling lesson I learned dur-
ing my years in public office: the tempo-
rary, provisional and limited nature of any
kind of socio-political solution to things of
common concern to all people. Not that
political and scientific research are not
worthwhile, becausethey are, but from a
global, long-range perspective, there is no
answer other than Christ." U
Sen. Bill Armstrong
and his wife, Ellen,
are looking forward
to a return to private
life in Colorado.
qtravin.gserved as ~resident .oft~e Colorado Springs Sun and a Denver area radio
-lfl. station, along with expenencmg the scrutiny of the nation's political press in
Washington, D.C. for nearly 18years, Sen. Bill Armstrong qualifies as a bonafide media
critic. He can attest to "the power of the press," and has observed a startling difference
between the localpress and the national press corps.
"During the 10 years I served in the Colorado legislature, I never knew the views or
political stances ofthe reporters I regularly did business with, and they usually report-
ed in a fair, straight-forward manner," Armstrong states.
"The national press, however, is extremely ideologicaland very polarized. They don't
see themselves as impar-tial observers or reporters in the old Associated Press sense of
the word, although the AP has remained one segment ofthe media that has held true to
its commitment tojournalistic objectivity."
In areas ofboth influence and affluence, a number ofjournalists in Washington rival
those public officialsthey interact with daily, according to Armstrong.
"Many of the top reporters and TV commentators in Washington are actually better
known, more influential and more highly paid than the people they cover," he says.
"Some columnists and reporters earn five to 10 times as much money as the congress-
men and senators."
In an era when integrity in politics receives constant attention, ethics is also a factor
in the quality of media coverage. With lure of celebrity status, power, and six and even
seven-figure incomes, objectivity often suffers at the expense of gaining a "name,"
Armstrong indicates. "Afair amount of reporters would like to be columnists and pun-
dits. They tend to wear their feelings on their sleeves."
The Washington Post, Armstrong states without reservation, is the most powerful
arm ofthe national media. "The Post is definitely the most influential. Producers, writ-
ers, correspondents and wire service guys all read it each morning without fail. It effec-
tively sets the daily news agenda. No other paper-or network-has the clout the Post
has," he says, while acknowledging the substantial influence of other newspapers, such
as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
In recent years, a significant media development has been the emergence of the
Washington Times, Armstrong says, a "right ofcenter" publication which to some degree
balances the liberal Post.
"Reading the Post and the Times every morning, you would think you are getting
news about two entirely different cities," he states. "The Times calls me all of the time
for information, but the Post rarely seeks out my opinion on anything. It's basically a
matter ofthe different points ofview they want to present." - R.J. T

What in the world can we depend on today?
By Robert J. Tamasy
F
or most of us, the memories are
dimming of the TV images we
saw of the earthquake which
rumbled its course of devastation
_ across the San Francisco Bay
last October. Yet there remains something
more disturbing about that catastrophe
than the final death toll, a sense of "There,
but for the grace of God, go I," or even the
fact that it took such an unprecedented
event to disrupt such a revered American
institution as the World Series.
No Promise of Safety
Somehow, even when we're not directly
involved, an earthquake seems to arouse
feelings ofbetrayal, or ofa sacred trust that
has been broken. We long for stability,
something we can cling to-and that will
hold on to us-without fail. If we fear fly-
ing, Wf? can stay out of airplanes, and no
one will force us on an ocean cruise if we
feel giddy at sea. But we are captives ofthis
spaceship we affectionately call Earth. If it
won't stand still, but insists on heaving and
rolling underfoot, what can we rely on?
When the space shuttle Challenger
exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, our confidencein
technology was crumpled. The Oct. 17, 1987
stock market crash dashed our hopes in
investments (and if our faith in them was
starting to return, last year's lesser slide of
Oct. 13 braked that tendency). Only weeks
earlier, Hurricane Hugo had played havoc
with the accumulated creature comforts in
Charleston, S.C.
Then came the Oct. 17, 1989 earthquake
on the West Coast, with gloomy predictions
of more-and perhaps worse-to follow."No
problem," you might think, "just stay away
from California!" That certainly is no conso-
lation for the millions who have built their
lives and livelihoods within hailing distance
of the Pacific Ocean. And for many of us
who don't live in the Golden State, business
may mandate traveling into that area, at
least on occasion. But even if we can remain
east of the Rockies, our lives certainly
aren't earthquake-proof. Perhaps the most
potentially devastating earthquake epicen-
ter, experts tell us, is located near
Memphis, Tenn. and could affect countless
millions oflives within a multi-state radius.
Something inside us wants to shout,
"Wait a minute!" or, to borrow the title from
the hit Broadway play, "Stop the world-I
want to get off!"If there is anything we feel
a right to expect from good ole terra firma,
it's that it will stay firm, not gyrate like
some monstrous Jell-O mold. Is nothing
reliable these days?
As a Christian watching the on-the-scene
news accounts and updates of the Bay Area
earthquake, I couldn't help but think about
a passage in the Bible that I have come to
regard as "the earthquake solution." In
Hebrews 12:28, it says, "Since we receive a
kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show
gratitude ...." I find that verse very reassur-
ing in our increasingly unpredictable world.
It says that yes, there is indeed some-
thing-make that Someone-that is still as
dependable as ever.
Great News
For me, that's great news. If there is any-
thing the world needs, it's something that is
100 percent, guaranteed, unshakeable.
Today,family ties generally aren't as strong
as they once were; bonafide heroes are
fewer than ever and increasingly difficult to
identify; confidence in government-any
government-is perhaps at its lowest ebb
ever; and change is battering our society
and building in intensity, making the lowly
chameleon the most likely heir to life as we
know it today.
Yet, unlike wildly fluctuating Dow Jones
averages, fierce variations in weather,
imperfections in technology and the Earth's
unstable crust, God promises that He will
remain faithful and unchanging, regardless
of what else is transpiring in the world.
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you....Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:5,8).
Peace, Not Panic
Think of it: an unshakeable kingdom. An
enduring, eternal harbor of tranquility
while the storm of contemporary civilization
rages all around us. Peace instead of panic;
harmony rather than hysteria; calm in
place of chaos; serenity, and not frenzy.
That does not immunize us from the stress-
es of everyday living, but it offers hope that
can't be dashed by a harsh word, a financial
setback, health problems, unexpected emer-
gencies, even global conflict.
Is it any wonder that Jesus encouraged
His followers not to "store up for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. But store up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where moth and rust do not
destroy, and where thieves do not break in
and steal" (Matthew 6:19, 20)?
I'm not hoping for an earthquake, and
I'm not going looking for one, but it's a great
reassurance to know that even an earth-
quake that rates a "10" on the Richter scale
can't begin to shake the kingdom that God
has promised for all who call Him "Father"
and Jesus "Lord." "
Robert J. Tamasy is editor
of CONTACT and national
director of publications for
CBMC of USA, in Chatta-
nooga, Tenn. He is co-author,
with Ken Johnson, of the
newly published book,
Reflections From the Flock.

Power of Positive Thinking, Frank
Bettinger's How I Raised Myself From
Failure to Success in Selling. I read them
all and started to see how I could take my
classroom work, the technical part of col-
lege, link that with the self-help books that
told you how to do things, and attain securi-
ty and the other things I wanted in life.
After graduating from college and serv-
ing in the U.S. Navy, I went into the busi-
ness world. I was hired by what was then
the largest corporation in the world, AT&T,
and started the climb up the business lad-
der, just as my dad had programmed me to
do. Things were going exactly as the self-
help books had said-I was rapidly advanc-
ing up the management ranks, faithfully
applying in a disciplined way the principles
the books had taught me.
In addition to the books, I attended every
seminar and listened to every tape I could
find that had anything to do with motiva-
tion, goal-setting, mind control or program-
COVER STORY
POSITIVE
THINKING
Positive thinking. Motivation. Often the two are inter-
twined, particularly in business circles. We have
learned, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again,"
and "Ifyou expect to fail, you probably will." We all
know that when the going gets tough, tough people get
going. A motivated person surely will accomplish more
than one who is not motivated to do anything. But what
is the Christian perspective? Is there a danger ofleaving
God out ofthe equation, glorifying self instead? The
cover story articles that follow will seek to answer
those questions.
Asserting Myself
I was determined to
climb to the top-
with the help of
self-help experts
I
grew up on the heels of the Great
Depression in the little town of
Stewart, Miss. For as long as I can
recall, my older friends, my teach-
_ ers,and especially my father, told
me about the Depression, how devastating
it was, and how people who had worked all
oftheir lives lost everything they had.
My father would point to family after
family, commenting, "They'll never get back
up again. They've lost their security." Then
he would say to me, "Son, I want you to be
secure in life. I want you to get an educa-
By Hugh B. Jacks
tion and get out of Stewart. Then I want
you to get with a large corporation and go
as high as you can, as fast as you can,
because during the Depression, they didn't
lay them off at the top-that all took place
at the bottom, and I want you at the top."
After hearing the importance of security
preached to me throughout my childhood, I
developed the need to be something, to do
something and to have something. I can
remember reading every Horatio Alger
story, accounts of Abraham Lincoln's life,
anything that showed man lifting himself
up by his own bootstrap-so That's exactly
what I planned to do.
By the time I got to high school, I abso-
lutely agreed with the poet who wrote
about being the master of your own fate,
the captain of your own soul. When I got to
college, the stream of self-help books had
started to come on the market: Dale
Carnegie's How To Win Friends and
Influence People, Norman Vincent Peale's

ming yourself to be successful. I was into
the science of the mind, the idea that any-
thing the mind of man can conceive and
believe, the mind ofman can achieve.
One day I was at home, listening to one
of my motivational tapes. My daughter,
Vickie, who was four years old at the time,
was sitting next to me, reading a book. My
wife, Janet, called me for something, but I
didn't answer her. Finally, Vickie answered,
"Mom,he can't hear you. He's motivating!"
A Disturbing Pattern
Although I continued to advance within
our corporation, still using the concepts I
had learned about goal-setting and positive
thinking, I began to see a disturbing pat-
tern developing in my life. Security never
seemed to last very long.
I would achieve an important goal, or
receive a promotion and be excited for a few
days, but before long I would slip back into
insecurity. I found myself on a competitive
treadmill, finding that what had once
seemed enough was never enough by the
time I achieved it. It seemed like all the
people who had written those self-help
books had left out a chapter.
One day, a friend helped me to realize
that the only remedy for insecurity is a per-
sonal relationship with Jesus Christ. The
void that had persisted through my boy-
hood and well into adulthood was finally,
and permanently, filled by God. That has
literally transformed my life, not only in
terms of eternity, but also in how I look at
the challenges of each day.
Since I became a Christian, I have read
the Bible cover to cover several times. From
the standpoint of being truly successful in
life, I could take all of my 2,OOO-plusbooks
on motivation, positive thinking and goal-
setting and burn them in the street, and I
would still be able to succeed in any
endeavor-as long as I followed the time-
less teachings and principles that I have
found in the Word of God.
As a result, although I set goals in busi-
ness and my personal life today more vigor-
ously than ever, I set them from a different
perspective. For instance, in studying the
Bible, I'm convinced that God is interested
in the setting of worthwhile goals; his fore-
most concern, however, is our motive. Are
we doing it for our own gratification, or to
bring honor to Him? Am I relying on myself
to accomplish my goals, or do I recognize
my total dependence on God?
In His Word, God has a great deal to say
about being successful, although in many
cases His definition of success is very differ-
ent from the world's definition. For that
reason, I use the Bible as a filter for my
goals and plans. If my intentions are not
against the Scriptures, I feel confident that
I can move ahead aggressively.
Sometimes I'm asked why I haven't total-
ly discarded the positive thinking and moti-
vational concepts I learned before becoming
a Christian. To me, that belongs in the
throwing out the baby with the bath water
category. It's my conclusion that although it
is not always explicitly stated, most of the
self-help books came from a biblical base.
Principles Still Valid
Granted, in some cases the conclusions
are perverted a little bit, but the concepts
for establishing goals within the scope of
your abilities and talents, and then develop-
ing specific plans for achieving those goals,
are just as valid for the person who has
committed his life to Jesus Christ as they
are for the individual who has no knowl-
edge of God. The difference is that our
plans and goals are directed toward serving
and honoring the Lord, rather than looking
to self and others.
Before I became a Christian, I was rely-
ing on myself and others for personal fulfill-
ment. I was striving for and worrying about
things that will make no difference in light
of eternity. When I committed my life to
Christ, I saw that I needed to turn every-
thing over to Him, even if that meant being
led out ofthe business world that I loved.
As it turned out, God did not direct me
away from business. In fact, it was the urg-
ing of some close Christian friends that con-
vinced me to remain in corporate life. So I
remain a hard-working, aggressive, posi-
tive-thinking businessman, except my phi-
losophy comes from that 2,OOO-year-old
book called the Bible rather than a ''how-to''
book written by a man with the same kinds
ofweaknesses that I have.
Balance Needed
Many Christians, unfortunately, have a
tendency to look at themselves more nega-
tively than God ever intended. Certainly we
must always be conscious of sin in our lives,
which was the reason that Jesus went to
the cross. Anything that we do "in the
flesh," as the Bible states it, is "filthy rags"
in God's sight. But we need to maintain a
balanced perspective-the perspective that
I believe Godhas.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as
we sincerely seek to walk in the image of
Christ, what we do is definitely not filthy
rags. When Christ went to the cross, His
death and resurrection cleaned it all up.
The key is understanding, and acting on,
what Christ has done for us.
For me, a corporate executive, that is the
ultimate "bottom line" in life. It's such a
freeing thing to mai~tain a positive outlook
on life, knowing that the basis for my atti-
tude is realizing the magnitude of what
Jesus accomplished for me on the
cross-both in this life and the life to come.
tt
Hugh B.Jacks, a veteran of
the business world for more
than 33 years, was appointed
president of Bell South
Services in Birmingham, Ala.
in 1983.Under his leadership,
the division has grown to
12,000 employees. Hugh
serves on the boards of directors for several cor-
porations and is involved in numerous civic
organizations. He frequently speaks at CBMC
functions across the United States.

•
Superstock
~ ~
axr lZe
Your Motivation
By Charles E. Jones
s
o you will understand my
thoughts on motivation and posi-
tive thinking, let me begin where
I intend to end. If you're seeking
- true motivation, you'll never find
it because real motivation is not a drive or a
feeling, but a byproduct of a relationship
with Jesus Christ. "He that has the Son has
life"(1 John 5:12).
Consider the motivation of the Apostle
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 2:14, ''Wherever I go,
thank God, He causes my life to be one con-
tinuous pageant oftriumph in Christ."
Motivation can be helpful or harmful,
positive or negative. It all depends on the
motiue. I've learned that motivation is like a
fire: In a boiler, fire produces steam to cre-
ate energy; set loose in a forest or a house,
it causes disaster. Motivation, when proper-
ly harnessed and directed, has potential for
great good;improperly focused, it too can be
very destructive.
Throughout history, heroes of the
Christian faith have been simple men and
women with a vision of eternity-their mo-
tivation-that drove them on despite great
obstacles. But history also offers examples
of self-motivation in leaders whose raw
drive to excel was married to godless
motives. We can readily see the difference
as we examine the impact oftheir lives.
Today, the word "motivation" often car-
ries negative connotations because the
underlying motive of many people is selfish.
But motivation is very positive, even beau-
tiful, in the life of one who follows God's
plan for giving and serving, rather than the
natural desire to receive and be served. In
his book, Success, Motiuation and the
Scriptures, William H. Cook writes of moti-
vation's plusses and minuses:
"Should a person think of setting goals in the
financial area? That depends-will God or the
individual get the glory from attainment? Will
(Continued on page 20)

/
See You
At the Top
An Interview with Zig Ziglar
T
he telephone rings and the recep-
tionist answers, "Good morning!
It's a great day at Zig Ziglar's."
The caller has reached the Zig
___ Ziglar Corpor-ation in Dallas,
headed by one of America's best-known
speakers on motivation. Through his semi-
nars, books, video and audio tapes, and .
television appearances, Ziglar has deliv-
ered his messages of positive thinking, hope
and enthusiasm to millions of people since
he began his full-time public speaking
career in 1970.
In addition to his best-seller, See YouAt
the Top, which has nearly two million
copies in print, Ziglar has written six other
books, including Raising Positive Kids in a
Negative Worldand TopPerformance.
Recently, Ziglar and his wife, Jean, cele-
brated their 43rd wedding anniversary and
"Zig" proudly announced, ''We've signed up
for 43 more!"
In a telephone interview from his vaca-
tion home in Lake Holly, Texas, Ziglar
spoke with CONTACT Editor Robert J.
Tamasy about what he believes positive
thinking is-and what it is not.
CONTACT: How do you prefer to
describe yourself vocationally?
ZIGLAR:I'm a motivational teacher and
author.
although I'm an extremely enthusiastic per-
son. I never offer a promise unless I can
give people a plan to make it work.
Whenever I talk to people about self-image
or setting goals, I also tell them specific
steps they can take to improve or develop
those areas.
A motivational speaker is someone who
lifts your spirits, who gets you enthused
and excited about life. But his impact is
How does being a "motivational
teacher" differ from a motivational
speaker?
If I have a specific gift or talent, it's to
encourage people. NOtwith a rah-rah style,
temporary. A motivational teacher teaches
you how to sustain that momentum over
time. The media's favorite question for me
is, "What happens to people a week, a
month or a year after they have heard you
speak." What they're asking is, "Is the moti-
vation permanent?" The answer is no, but
neither is bathing. Youdo what you need to
do for today's needs and you take care of
tomorrow's needs tomorrow. The motivation

is always in the present-facing the chal-
lenges ofeach day.
So your emphasis is not in making
people feel good for the moment, but in
showing them how to maintain a posi-
tive outlook on life? .
Exactly. Dr. J. Allen Petersen has esti-
mated that up to 90 percent of the daily
input into our lives is negative. Even if that
figure is only 50 percent, that is a lot. The
Bible says, "As you sow, so shall you reap."
Or as computer experts say, "Garbage in,
garbage out." So if we know there is a lot of
"de-motivation" in our environment, we
need to deliberately seek positive motiva-
tion to counter it.
That's why I put a strong emphasis on
my books and tapes. We get 200 times as
many letters and words of affirmation from
people saying that my books and tapes
changed their lives as we do from people
who say a speech I gave changed their lives.
So that we are clear on meaning,
how do you define positive thinking?
Positive thinking is optimistic hope, not
necessarily based on any facts, that you can
move mountains. I have seen positive
thinking move mountains, but I have also
seen people get their teeth kicked in
because they confused positive thinking
with idiotic thinking. I've heard people say,
"With positive thinking, you can do any-
thing!" That's foolishness.
Magic Johnson is known as a very outgo-
ing, positive person. He has the talent, size
and attitude to make an outstanding bas-
ketball player. But despite all his positive
thinking, he would be a complete failure as
a jockey. William "Refrigerator" Perry
would not make it in ballet, and although
I'm a very positive thinker, if you needed
surgery, I would not recommend that I be
the one to do it. Positive thinking will not
let you do everything, but it will help you do
anything better than negative thinking.
In your book, See You At the Top, you
use the term "positive life attitude."
How does that differ from positive
thinking?
Positive life attitude is when you think in
terms of the total perspective of your life.
We are more than mind-we also have a
body and a spirit-and everyone has more
than one objective in life. You can take a
group of eggheads or a group of teenagers
and ask them what they want out of life. It
may take 30 minutes or.3.0hours, but they
eventually will arrive at the same conclu-
sions.
I've discovered that everyone wants the
same seven things, in differing amounts:
happiness; health; reasonable prosperity
(even someone taking a vow of poverty
wants warmth, something to wear and
something to eat); security; friends; peace of
mind, and goodfamily relationships. A posi-
tive life attitude helps in determining how
we are to achieve those goals.
Youbecame a Christian in 1972. How
did that affect your views of positive
thinking and motivation?
Basically, it solidified my view. I found
that the Bible is the most positive book ever
written. What did change was that I moved
from positive thinking to positive believing.
As I said, positive thinking is an optimistic
hope not based on any facts. Positive believ-
ing is an optimistic hope based on
facts-the facts of the truth of God's Word
and a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ. Next to the Bible, one of the most
important books I ever read was Why I
Preach the Bible Is Literally True by w.A.
Criswell. He pointed out that of the more
than 6,000 prophesies in the Bible, more
than 3,000 have already come to
pass-exactly as they were written.
Before, in cultivating a positive mental
attitude, I was taking man's word for it, but
all men make errors. God makes no mis-
takes, so if He tells me something, I know
it's right and act accordingly-with consid-
erably more confidence.
Coming from a Christian perspec-
tive, how do you relate the concept of
positive thinking to the biblical admo-
nition, "do not think more highly of
yourself than you ought" (Romans
12:3) or "all our righteous acts are like
filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6)?
Weneed to carefully separate who we are
from what we can do. In John 15:5, Jesus
warned us, "apart from Me you can do noth-
ing," but Philippians 4:13 tells us that we
can do everything through Christ who gives
us strength. Basically, I understand the
Bible as saying, "Youcan't, but you and God
can."
We need to remember whose we are and
who is in control. In Psalm 139, we read
that we are "fearfully and wonderfully
made" by God, and that is something to
really think positively about! At the same
time, Jeremiah 18 tells us that just as clay
has no right to criticize how it is fashioned
by the potter, as God's vessel-His ere-
ation-I don't have the right to criticize my
Creator for tile way He made me.
In some respects, it's walking a kind of
fine line. The Bible tells us not to think
more highly of ourselves than we do of oth-
ers, but it doesn't say that we should think
of ourselves as lower than others either. As
long as I understand that whatever good I
do is only through God's power, my self
image isn't a problem.
But isn't there a danger, however
subtle, to focus on self in positive
thinking and eliminate God from the
equation?
You bet. That's where a lot of people get
into trouble. I have heard many people say
that whatever you can conceive and believe
in your own mind, you can do. That's a lie.
The bankruptcy courts are filled with peo-
ple who conceived, believed and worked
hard-and still wound up bankrupt. The
prisons are also full ofpeople like that.
Earlier in my life, I had many ideas that
I thought were absolutely brilliant. But
they were absolute failures when I tried to
put them into action. Conceiving and
believing does not guarantee achieving.
New Age thinking today basically says
that man is the ultimate, that he can move
mountains on his own. Man simply cannot
do all things. The only one who can is God,
and if we are to have any chance of realiz-
ing our potential in life, we need to stick
very closeto Him.
Often we hear that wealth, health
and happiness are natural byproducts
of positive thinking. Doyou agree?
I emphatically do not believe in the pros-
perity gospel, which is what that kind of
thinking is. My own mother is a good exam-
ple. I've never known a stronger, more dedi-
cated Christian, yet she never had a dime. I
do not believe that just because you are a
Christian you will be financially successful.
The Bible teaches that God gives differently
to each individual, as He knows is best for
them. Many people are unable to handle a
lot of money. But by the same token, God
may indeed enable a person to become
wealthy because He knows the individual
will be able to handle it properly, "

The Final Wordon Positive Thinking
What does the Bible have to say about
- positive thinking? Here's a sampling
(italics added for emphasis):
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, what-
ever is pure, whatever is lovely,whatever is
admirable-if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy-think about such things"
(Philippians 4:8).
"Do not conform any longer to the pat-
tern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing ofyour mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will
is-his good, pleasing and perfect will"
(Romans 12:2).
"I can do all things through Him who
strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in His law he meditates day and night"
(Psalm 1:2).
"".Be made new in the attitude of your
minds; and to put on the new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness" (Ephesians 4:23).
"Do not let this Book of the Law depart
from your mouth; meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do
everything written in it. Then you will be
prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:8).
"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree
with one another so that there may be no
divisions among you and that you may be
perfectly united in mind and thought" (1
Corinthians 1:10).
"He who trusts in himself is a fool,but he
who walks in wisdom is kept safe"
(Proverbs 28:26).
"Therefore, prepare your minds for
action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully
on the grace to be given you when Jesus
Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:13).
"Since, then, you have been raised with
Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of
God.Set your minds on things above, not on
earthly things. For you have died, and your
life is now hidden with Christ in God"
(Colossians 3:1-3).
"For as he thinks within himself, so he
is"." (Proverbs 23:7).
"Those who live according to the sinful
nature have their minds set on what that
nature desires; but those who live in accor-
dance with the Spirit have their minds set
on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sin-
ful man is death, but the mind controlled by
the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-7).
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
discipline" (Proverbs 1:7).
"".Do not think of yourself more highly
than you ought, but rather think of yourself
with soberjudgment, in accordance with the
measure of faith God has given you"
(Romans 12:3).
Looking Ahead
Too many commitments, not enough
time, and no apparent way out. There's a
word for that condition-it's called "entan-
glement." Chances are you have experi-
enced it at one time or another. Most of us
have. Perhaps entanglement well describes
your current state.
Work demands. Family responsibilities.
Church commitments. Community and
civic obligations. Personal ministry. All are
good, but together they can tie us up in a
tight ball of tension, frustration and dissat-
isfaction, particularly if you have trouble
saying "No!" Like snakes constricting
around our bodies, they can squeeze out
the joy we rightfully expect from tasks well
performed, relationships well maintained.
16 CONTACT, February 1990
Not only do we find ourselves taking on
more than we can reasonably handle, but
we prove that jacks of all trades seldom
master any ofthem.
So how do we avoid becoming "entan-
gled"? Or what can we do if we are already
there? Is there any hope of being un-tan-
gled? We will look at this in the April edi-
tion of CONTACT. Men who themselves'
have suffered the horrors of entanglement
will discuss both the prevention and the
cure.
In addition, you will find an interview
with Frank E. Peretti, author of the best-
selling novels This Present Darkness and
Piercing the Darkness that are attracting so
much attention in both Christian and secu-
lar markets. Also, postponed one issue, will
be a feature on Anthony Munoz, the All-Pro
offensive lineman for the Cincinnati
Bengals. He will tell what motivates him to
do battle in the "trenches" of professional
football, Sunday after Sunday, year after
year.

c l I p B
Compiled by NorIan De Groot .
Dale Carnegie knew the techniques for "positive
- thinking" and "self-confidence."He could even teach
people to overcome worry with his techniques, but in the
end, peace eluded him and he committed suicide. In a
world filled with causes for worry and anxiety, we need
something tougher than "positive thinking" or even "pos-
sibility thinking." We need the peace of God standing
guard over our hearts and minds.
Jerry W McCant
Worth Repeating
This is the only country where it takes
more brains to prepare the income tax
return than it does to earn the income.
William Dettle
San Francisco Examiner, touched on what
might be one of the cornerstones of genius.
Commenting on Steve Jobs' amazing ability
to come up with new and stimulating prod-
ucts, he said, "Since Jobs isn't a profession-
al engineer, he doesn't know what can't be
done."John Dvorak, computer columnist for the
(Newsweek, Oct. 24,
1988, p. 49)
t'ILLfNG'7,. WI-lAT t::YACTL.i
[70 'IOU f'RING 10 WORK
IN -mAT TJ..f€{(NVYJ?
/
*****
Every now and then go
away, have a little relax-
ation. For when you come
back to your work, your
judgment will be surer,
since to remain constantly
at work, you lose power of
judgment. Gosome distance
away because then the
work appears smaller, and
more ofit can be taken in at
a glance, and a lack of har-
mony or proportion is more
readily seen.
Leonardo da Vinci
o A H o
Skin Deep?
Sometimes what's on the outside doesn't
always coincide with what is on the inside.
During Mikhail Gorbachev's historic pre-
Christmas meeting with Pope John Paul II,
people were amazed to hear Gorbachev
speak of religious freedom and the right of
people in the Soviet Union to satisfy their
spiritual needs. The words which flowed
from the mouth of the Soviet Communist
Party leader were beautiful, as beautiful as
the painting hanging over the two men's
heads-the painting by Pietro Vannucci
(Perugino), a famous painter of religious
scenes-and also a renowned atheist.
Look who
celebrated Christmas
-and who didn't
For the third year in a row, the town of
Bethlehem canceled its Christmas celebra-
tions. Bethlehem, which is home to
Christian Arabs, canceled community cele-
brations of Christmas in support of the
Palestinian uprising.
The Jewish government would have no
part of that, so the Israeli military spon-
sored its own holiday celebrations in the
area. Isn't it amazing who is-and who
isn't-celebrating Christ's birth these
days?
:;::;: *:.:: :;:
Optimist: A man who goes into a restau-
rant with no money and figures on paying
for his meal with the pearl that he hopes to
find in the oyster he plans to order.
~: :;: :;: :(. :{.
Things are definitely getting bad.
Yesterday I told one ofthe meekest people I
know that he would inherit the earth ....
He asked me for a second choice.

M
Your Wife
and
Your
Wallet
Russ Crosson is
chief operating
officer of Ronald
Blue & Co., a personal
financial planning
and management
firm based in
Atlanta, Ga.
o N f y
By Russ Crosson
As I work with couples I find that in many
cases the conflict over money is because of differ-
ent backgrounds. Different experiences and fami-
ly upbringing and training have caused each
spouse to have different expectations of how to
handle money.
This was vividly illustrated by a couple I coun-
seled recently. As I talked with them it became
obvious that they disagreed on the use of debt. In
going over the net worth statement I casually
asked them the balance of their credit card debt.
When the husband responded that it was "around
$3,000,"his wife went into a rage.
Crisis Over Credit
As I sat there and listened, she went on and on
about how she didn't want to use the credit cards,
but he did, and that she couldn't understand why
he used them so frequently, and that it made her
nervous and upset to use them, and so on. She
also explained that she was nervous about all the
debt they had on their balance sheet. She just
didn't understand it.
Needless to say, he retaliated with some com-
ments of his own. He didn't see any problem in
using the credit cards, since he kept the balance
current most months. He also commented that
debt was simply a tool to use to grow his net
worth. He really didn't see any problem in debt.
After all, his father had amassed a small fortune
using it.
The comment about his father gave me some
insight into the problem. To see if I was correct, I
asked his wife how her family used debt. She
responded that they had never used debt and had
always paid cash for everything. As a matter of
fact, to her recollection her parents did not even
have a credit card.
Backgrounds Set the Stage
My assumption was correct. Although debt
appeared to be the reason for the conflict, in real-
ity their different backgrounds were the con-
tributing factors. With our backgrounds we bring
a whole set of expectations about a wide variety
of things: how we handle money; how we disci-
pline our children; our perception of work, leisure
time, and so on. With expectations comes the
potential for conflict.
The key to overcoming the conflict is to make
sure good communcation takes place between
husband and wife. They need to find out what
expectations there are and then make the neces-
sary decisions to promote maximum harmony. In
this case, once the husband began to understand
why his wife always responded to debt the way
she did, he was much more sensitive to communi-
cating with her about why he had the debt, what
its purpose was, and how it would be repaid.
As you reflect on your situation you will
undoubtedly find that you and your spouse have
different expectations about money in many
areas, such as giving, living expense level, and
type ofinvestments. Youwill also find differences
in areas such as where you like to go to eat and
Communication
is a key ingredient
where you like to shop. Your spouse may feel
uncomfortable in nice restaurants and prefer the
more middle-of-the-road places.
Your spouse may like to spend more money on
vacation than you do. Vacations may have been
emphasized by your spouse's family, while they
were really not that big a deal to your family.You
may see money used more wisely in a larger
house, while your spouse may rather have a
smaller house and newer cars. It can go on and
on.
Be aware that many of these expectations are
the result of the way you view money, which you
learned from your parents. You will not change
the background of your spouse, but you can be
sensitive to it so as not to allow it to contribute to
disunity in your marriage.
The more sensitive you are to your spouse's
ideas and the source of them, the greater the
mutual understanding and harmony in your mar-
riage. It is essential to communicate your expec-
tations about money and make sure that any
decision you make contributes to harmony. U
Reprinted with permission from Money & Your
Marriage by Russ Crosson, © 1989, WORD
Incorporated, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved.

f
Last
of the
Red--Hot
Lovers
Gary Smalley is .
president of.Today's
Family, a ministry
based in Phoenix, Ariz.
In their new book,
Love Is A Decision
(Word Books, 1989),
Smalley and John
Trent expand on these
and other elements
needed to build
godly homes.
A M
By Gary Smalley
Most of us like to think that we were once real
Don Juans. Then our wives tell the real story.
But there is a way to go from being "Pee Wee"
Herman to Robert Redford.
Once, I thought I knew everything about
romance. I was convinced I could sweep Norma
off her feet with a two-week camping trip in the
Colorado Rockies. We would take scenic back
roads, visit historic sites, camp under the stars.
The Colorado Tourism Board would have
hired me on the spot if they had seen how I sold
her on the idea. With stars in my eyes and a
sleeping bag under her arm, we headed out.
Within days, romance had turned to ruin.
Norma was beside herself. ''This is terrible," she
moaned. "There are no malls around, no cute
shops-and no restaurants. I'm not sure I can
handle another day of this, much less another
week! Can't we go to a town so we can see other
people or shop for the kids...pleeeease?"
I was angry. What nerve to wreck my roman-
tic "dream" vacation! We scrapped the trip and
headed home to Phoenix, driving non-stop from
Colorado to Flagstaff, Ariz. without saying a
word. After my emotions subsided, I realized
that I never asked what Norma thought would
be a romantic trip. What a mistake that was!
What's Your Ten?
We need to make romance count by discover-
ing what the women we love think being roman-
tic means. One of the best ways I know to get
that information is the "20 Questions" method.
Begin by asking this all-important question:
"Honey,on a scale ofone to 10, what's a romantic
10 to you?" Have paper and pen ready to jot
down each idea your wife comes up with.
Next, "milk" her answers for added informa-
tion: Ask questions that help you learn about
what she is thinking.
For instance, if she says, "A 10 would be a ski-
ing vacation," then ask, Where would we go? At
what time of the year? Would we need new ski
clothes? Where would we eat? Where would we
stay? Would we meet friends there or go by our-
selves? Would we do anything other than ski?
The more you know about her "10," the more
you'll understand her interests-and the more
successful a romantic you'll be.
I I y
Contrary to popular opinion, most romantic
times don't just happen. Since opportunities to
make great memories come and go so quickly, it's
important to plan special times together.
"But Gary!. ..," you may protest. "Planning
takes all the thrill out ofit. Romance is supposed
to be spontaneous." Spontaneity is vital to
romance, but it's not the key for special times
together.
To get a practical handle on being romantic
we must realize the secret to romance isn't the 5
o'clock phone call for the 6 o'clock candlelight
dinner. Most women would rather decide togeth-
er what to do and enjoy anticipating than be sur-
prised at the last minute, totally unprepared.
Then There's the Budget
Not many of us can spend a week on ski
slopes, so keep this in mind: Romance has little
to do with how much money we spend. If suc-
cessful, romantic relationships depended on our
bank accounts, most of us wouldn't even have
acquaintances! Focusing on money will rob us of
some of the most romantic times we can ever
spend.
Here are a few ideas to sweep your wife off
her feet-and leave something in your wallet:
I Buy half a gallon of your favorite ice cream,
go to the most beautiful park in town, throw a
blanket on the ground and eat the whole thing
while talking about her favorite subject.
I Write love notes to her and hide them in
unsuspecting places, like the freezer, a shoe, in
the car's glove box, in the bathtub, in a makeup
kit, or under the bed covers.
I Attend a free outdoor concert.
I Visit a museum or art gallery. Before you go,
use the "20 Questions" method to learn all you
can about what she likes and dislikes.
I Watch a sunset together. See what figures
and shapes you can pick out. Enjoy quiet, peace-
ful conversation enjoying God's creation.
I Go to your favorite restaurant for dessert.
Bring your child's baby book or your wedding
album and relive some memories together.
Making time in our schedules for special
times together and finding romantic "10's" can
help keep courtship alive long after the wedding
bells have rung. "

Maximize Your Motivation
Continued from page 11
the lives of others be wonderfully blessed if you
are blessed? Will people be reached for Christ
because of your blessing? It is not wrong to have
material goals-just make sure God is the one
who gives them to you, rather than you giving
them to God."
Years ago, a young man rushed up to me
after I had given a motivational seminar.
Bubbling over with curiosity, he asked,
"When did you find yourself?" I had to think
about that. It was a new question. Then a
verse came to mind that seemed the perfect
answer: "He who finds his life will lose it,
but he who loses his life for My sake will
find it" (Matthew 16:25).
People have had a great motivating influ-
ence on me. For each of my role models and
heroes, Jesus Christ was Lord and Savior,
as well as their role model and hero. None
had to look for motivation. They had it.
Can you picture Charles Spurgeon, D.L.
12,000 Strong
and Growing
The Christian Business Men's
Committee of USA exists to communicate
the best news in life, by presenting Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord to business and
professional men and developing Christian
businessmen to become participants in
Christ's Great Commission.
CBMC has more than 12,000 members
nationally, many of whom meet weekly for
.prayer, Bible study and mutual encourage-
ment. These men are committed to repre-
senting Jesus Christ in their local business
communities, demonstrating through
action and word the reality of the
Christian hope.
To learn more about CBMC of USA, or
for information about a CBMC group in
your area, write CBMC of USA, PO. Box
3308, Chattanooga, TN 37404, or call
615/698-4444.
Moodyor John Wesley attending a seminar
to get motivated to preach better? Can you
conceive of David Livingstone, William
Carey or Hudson Taylor reading a motiva-
tional book to increase his missionary zeal?
Or can you imagine F.B. Meyer, Andrew
Murray or Oswald Chambers listening to
motivational cassettes to excite their minds
to great thoughts?
I'm not trying to build a case against
motivational seminars, books and tapes.
But before looking for motivation, we need
to look at motives. The Christian must ask,
"Do the people I listen to and the books I
read promote personal motivation or the
pursuit of godly motives? Do they focus on
techniques, or do they emphasize purpose?"
A.w. Tozer said, "The test by which all
conduct must finally be judged is
MOTIVE."Just as water cannot rise higher
than its source, the moral quality of an act
can never exceed the motive inspiring it.
During the first 100 years of our nation,
KNOW SOMEONE
WHO DESERVES
A JOURNALISM
SCHOLARSHIP?
The 325 periodical members 01the
Evangelical Press Association are
v~alty interested il the future 01
religiousjournalism.
The Association offers $500 to
$1,200 scholarshps each year to
Christian college Juniors and seniors,
and graduate students, committed to a
career in print journalism.
Further details and application
forms are avatlable. Forms must be
completed and returned by April 1.
Write now to:
most motivational and inspirational litera-
ture emphasized biblical principles. In the
last century, however, most motivational lit-
erature has been oriented to self. For the
Christian, the love of Christ must be the
only true motivation because it alone will
withstand all tests and discouragements.
"The love of Christ constrains me." That
was the Apostle Paul's motivation, and if
you are serious about your business, family
or personal future, it must be yours as well.
it
ExecutiveDirector
Evangelical PressAssociation
P.O. Box 4550
Overland Park, Kansas 66204
Charles E. "Tremendous"
Jones founded Life Manage-
ment Services in 1965 to
assist companies in employee
motivation through seminars,
books, cassettes and video
facilitator programs. He is
author of Life Is Tremendous
and several other motivational and inspira-
tional books. Charles and his wife, Gloria, have
six children and five grandchildren, and live in
Mechanicsburg, Pa. He has been a member of
CBMCsince 1951.
CONVENTION
SET IN
PORTLAND
The 53rd annual CBMC National
Convention will be held Oct. 3-7, 1990 at
the Red Lion Inn in Portland, Ore.
Featured speakers at the National
Convention will include Dr. John
MacArthur, international evangelist Dr.
Luis Palau, Dr. Joseph Aldrich, former pro
football star Norm Evans, and Chuck and
Barb Snyder, best-selling authors and
marriage workshop leaders.
For information on the Convention,
write Convention Manager, c/o CBMC of
USA, P.O. Box 3308, Chattanooga, TN
37404, or call 615/698-4444.
20 CONTACT, February 1990

R f
Debt-Free Living (by Larry
Burkett, Moody Press, 249 pages, © 1989,
$12.95).
If, as Proverbs tells us, "The borrower is
slave to the lender," the United States and
the great majority of its citizens are victims
of self-inflicted servitude. Not only is our
society staggering under the weight of an
ever-spiraling national debt, but consumers
continue to carryon their infatuation with
credit cards. It's as if, Burkett points out,
indebtedness has become a matter of offi-
cial national policy.
Burkett, who produces a nationally syn-
dicated radio pro-
gram on personal
finances, notes this
is not just another
book on biblical prin-
ciples for financial
management. Too
often, the damage
has already been
done and all a read-
er of those books can
say is, "Now you tell
me!" Instead, Bur-
kett directs this
book to those who have already made the
mistakes, gone into debt, and now ask,
"Howdo we get out?"
Using vignettes about couples who fol-
lowed different paths into debt, Burkett
offers a practical, straight-forward strategy
on how to escape the ball and chain of
indebtness. The first part of the book tells
how the couples got into debt, and the sec-
ond tells how they got out. A third section,
"An Overview of Credit, Debt and
Borrowing," is dedicated to eliminating
ignorance about these three topics-show-
ing how they differ-as well as remedial
measures available to those who are beyond
a "quick fix" for their accumulated indebt-
edness.
If you need financial help, or know some-
one who does, this may prove an invaluable
resource.
v I f w s
By Robert J. Tamasy
Two recent releases both examine the so-
called "American dream," although from
decidedly different angles:
Waking From the American
Dream (by Donald W. McCullough, Inter-
Varsity Press, 210 pages, © 1988, $7.95).
Much of the American "success" mindset
is predicated on refusing to accept anything
less than full realization of our goals and
dreams. Our culture largely advocates posi-
tive thinking-this "can-do" culture subtly
leads Christians to a "can-do" faith, one
which results in less than complete reliance
on a loving and all-knowing God. "Wewould
do well to stop running from our disappoint-
ments in order to learn the lessons God has
for us through them," McCullough writes.
Underscoring the futility of trying to glue
together a broken world by thinking posi-
tively, he challenges us to acknowledge our
brokenness and allow God to do the mend-
ing as He shapes us into the people He
intended for us to be.
The Gospel and the American
Dream (by Bruce 1. Shelley, Multnomah
Press, 192 pages, © 1989, $8.95).
American culture stems from four tradi-
tions, according to Shelley: the biblical tra-
dition, which provided a religious base; the
republican tradition, embodying political
institutions; the economic tradition of com-
merce and industry, and the therapeutic
tradition of personal health and happiness.
Over time, these traditions have fallen to
abuse; the country's spiritual root system
has become lost and "one nation under God"
has moved into a godless Age ofSelf.
Cultural beliefs often directly conflict
with spiritual values, the author points out,
but too often Christians in America are not
recognizing those distinctions. He calls for
Christians to "return to the biblical gospel
with a deeper understanding and a
renewed commitment." We need a renewed,
Christ-like perspective, he says, on issues
such as true success, individual rights, the
purpose and value of
work, and public pol-
icy in areas when
the secular and the
spiritual collide.
Other worth-
while reading:
The Student
Bible (Zondervan,
© 1988, from
$24.95), and The
Student's Guide
To the Bible
(Zondervan, 96 pages, $4.95). Noted
Christian journalists Philip Yancey and Tim
Stafford have collaborated to produce two
works that will prove very helpful to many
who yearn for an effective way of studying
the Bible. The Student Bible incorporates
the New International Version of the Bible
and offers a three-track Bible reading pro-
gram (with separate six-week, six-month
and three-year plans); special introductions,
insights and highlights for each book; and a
student guide which helps the reader find
the Bible's message on specific issues.
Yancey and Stafford also have compiled
The Student's Guide To the Bible which pre-
sents only the introductions from The
Student Bible, so readers of any Bible can
identify the whos, whats, whens, wheres
and whys that are involved in each of the
Bible's 66 books. it

o
Motivation
That
Lasts A
Lifetime
Ted DeMoss since
1977 has served as
president of CBMC of
USA, headquartered
in Chattanooga,
Tennessee. He is
co-author of
the book, The
Gospel and the
Briefcase.
I M
By Ted DeMoss
Often I'm often asked, "Ted, what keeps you
going?"I'm never really sure how to respond.
One thing I know: When I got involved with
Christian Business Men's Committee in 1951, I
met men who had an unshakably positive out-
look on life, were motivated beyond anything I
had seen in the secular world, and had a clearly
defined purpose. God used those men to so moti-
vate me that I've never gotten over it, even when
things happen that I can't explain.
Tragedies Underscored Urgency
For example, at two different times in my life,
men with whom I had talked many times about
Christ took their lives. Both had made verbal
professions of faith, but neither showed evidence
of truly knowing Jesus Christ as Lord. Rather
than discourage me, however, these events actu-
ally increased my desire to make Him
known-simply because I believe hell is real!
In another instance, someone we had been
praying for faithfully, seeking to touch his life for
our Savior, was killed in an accident. Psalm
146:4,as it reads in the Living Bible, came to my
mind: "For every man must die, his breathing
stops, life ends, and in a moment all he planned
for himself is ended." How can anyone quit when
there are still people who don't know the Lord?
I think of three other verses that say much
the same: "Just as man is destined to die once,
and after that to facejudgment" (Hebrews 9:27);
"It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God" (Hebrews 10:31); "...for our God
is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).
Engines Shut Down
A little over 27 years ago, on the birthday of
my youngest daughter, Edie, I was in a twin-
engine airliner flying from Akron, Ohio to
Greensboro, N.C., where I was to speak at a
CBMC luncheon. As we were crossing the moun-
tains of West Virginia on that cold December
morning, one engine sputtered and stalled.
Within moments, the other engine also stopped.
I felt certain I was going to die. Since there
was nothing I could do, I thought of things I had
hoped to accomplish. I did have a deep assur-
ance about where I would be going after death.
However, this was not what bothered me the
o s s
most. As I looked out the window and the air-
craft began to descend toward earth, I felt peace
about all but one thing. I prayed, "Dear God,
please help Edie to understand why you would
take me home on her birthday. It's bad enough
that I couldn't be with her on this ninth anniver-
sary of her entrance into the world, but to take
her daddy away on this day is something You're
going to have to handle, so I commit it to you."
Although I was experiencing an inner peace
that defied my understanding, bedlam reigned
throughout the plane. Some people were scream-
ing, "I don't want to die!"Most ofthose people, at
one time or another, had probably considered
themselves religious, but the panic that swept
over them was unbelievable. Obviously,they did
not share the peace that I felt at that moment.
Power Restored
While this scene was taking place, the pilots
up front continued to deal with the problem;
they finally succeeded in restarting one engine.
Moments later, the other roared back to life.
With the plane back under control, we made a
"precautionary landing" in Roanoke, Va. I was
the only passenger to complete the flight to
Greensboro. We even arrived in time for my
speaking commitment.
What was the bottom line of all of this? Just
that I knew, beyond any doubt, that I belonged
to God. Without this assurance, I don't know
how anyone can really be considered a "positive
thinker." It is "Christ in me, the hope of glory."
Knowing I'm a child of the King, my No.1 moti-
vation in life is to make Him known to others.
In my own strength, I can do nothing. As God
tells me in His Word, it is not by my might, nor
by my power, but according to His Spirit alone
that lives are touched. This truth for every
believer is humbling, but also greatly encourag-
ing. Although God wants us to speak out for
Him, He is fully responsible for the outcome.
I like so much what Bill Gothard has said on
this subject: "Humility is realizing everything I
am is the result of what others have invested in
my life." Beyond this, real humility is in know-
ing that God is in charge. What a joy to know
Him and to serve Himl U

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