We’ve been talking about religious hypocrisy—in ourselves. This isn’t about being ourselves up, but about honest self-evaluation as we strive to grow and become more like Jesus.But that’s just what can happen. We beat ourselves up. The more we examine ourselves to see our sin, the more sin we see! It can be discouraging.The apostle … Continue reading Know you are loved
children of God
Who are we when all our things are taken away?
One of Arthur Miller’s books is called Incident at Vichy. A man appears before a Nazi guard. The Nazis have just invaded their town. The man is well-educated and well-respected. He shows his credentials to the guards. These include his university degrees and his letters of reference from well-known people. The guard asks him: “Is … Continue reading Who are we when all our things are taken away?
Live like royalty
Abraham Heschel tells a story about a man who was a prince. However, he was taken away to live in captivity in another country. He was now surrounded by crude and illiterate people. Over time something can happen. You start to blend in to the people around you—even if they were very different from you … Continue reading Live like royalty
What it means to be a child of God
In my experience, people tend to downplay (or misunderstand) what it means to be a child of God. We often hear or say that ALL people are children of God. If it’s a status all people have, then it’s not really unique to anyone in particular. I get what people mean in a general kind … Continue reading What it means to be a child of God
Aren’t they all our children?
Several years ago a reporter was covering the conflict in Sarajevo when he saw a young girl get shot. He rushed over to help. By the time he got there another man also wanted to assist. They lifted her into the reporter’s car and set off to the hospital. The reporter drove, and the other … Continue reading Aren’t they all our children?
Royal blood
After World War Two, fifty men came out of a camp in Indochina with amnesia. They didn’t know who they were. They simply didn’t remember, and there were no records. For those who were brought back to Paris, someone had the idea to advertise in the newspapers. The idea was to tell the public about … Continue reading Royal blood
You’ve never fled or fallen too far
“God couldn’t love me. Not after what I’ve done.” I hear this sometimes. Maybe not those exact words. But some form of them. Sure, we know the words to “Jesus loves me” and, on some level, mentally agree that they’re true. But then life goes on, things happen—sometimes terrible things, and we doubt God’s love. … Continue reading You’ve never fled or fallen too far
