We live in an age in which Christians have greater access to resources to encourage them in their Christian walk than any other generation in history. Unrestricted access to the Bible, endless numbers of great devotional books, countless recordings of talks by the greatest evangelists and preachers in the world, vast archives of Christian music and in this country at any rate freedom of worship. But in spite of all these advantages, one of the greatest challenges facing Christians today is our relationships with one another.

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The actor Clint Eastwood, married and divorced several times, has been quoted as saying, “There’s only one way to have a happy marriage... and as soon as I learn what it is, I’ll get married again!” While we may smile at this typically casual confession from one of Hollywood’s heroes, which of us does not also ache at the sadness behind these words? As the media-inspired obsession with sexual gratification continues unabated, leaving a trail of broken marriages and human misery in its wake, how are Christians to respond?

In this issue of the Partners’ Review we are highlighting the importance of One to One ministry. With ever-increasing demands on their time, many Christian business people are finding it harder to attend regular Bible study programmes in their local church with the result that their knowledge of the essentials of the Christian faith is eroding over time. Although there are many different discipling tools available, few of them emphasise the vital relationship aspect of one Christian sowing the Word of God into another person’s life.

What is your worldview?

If you were asked to pick one word to describe the aspiration of South Africans in recent years, I expect that “Transformation” would be a strong candidate. The transformation of society, leaving the past behind and striving for justice and equality, is surely a worthy enterprise. But, a truly transformed society consists of transformed individuals, which, as every Christian knows, is where the rubber hits the road. The old nature doesn’t just roll over and die!

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In June 2004, James Montier, a global equity strategist at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (DrKW), published a research paper, The Psychology of Happiness, that captured the attention of the business world overnight. In exploring one of Adam Smith’s obsessions, what it means to be happy, DrKW advised its international clients to stop equating happiness with money. In November 2005, Montier followed this report with another, arguing that “materialistic pursuits are not a path to sustainable happiness.