“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:5-6).The apostle John has a particular way of writing. His style makes us see clear and definite contrasts. Throughout his New … Continue reading Your choices matter
decisions
If you’re sitting on the fence
Have you ever heard the expression that someone is “sitting on the fence”? It’s about being neutral, or perhaps being slow to make a decision about something. With that in mind, let me say this: You can’t follow Jesus if you’re sitting on the fence. The exact expression “follow me” occurs twenty times in the Gospels. For example, … Continue reading If you’re sitting on the fence
How do I discern God’s will when the path is uncertain?
The words of Psalm 143:10 are a good prayer for all of us: “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”As followers of Jesus, we want to do God’s will. Sometimes his will is clear. Sometimes it is not. What do we do … Continue reading How do I discern God’s will when the path is uncertain?
Sowing, reaping and decision-making
Harold Kushner tells a cautionary story about the man who invented the transistor radio. He was headed to a convention and stopped at a restaurant to have something to eat. There was another family there. He noticed that each one of them had one of his inventions. As a result, no one was talking to … Continue reading Sowing, reaping and decision-making
What is uprightness?
In my devotional reading I keep coming across the word “upright” or “uprightness.” It’s a good thing. Here are a few examples: -“May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you” (Psalm 25:21, ESV).-“Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD…” (Proverbs 14:2, ESV).-“My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart” … Continue reading What is uprightness?
What you expose yourself to
Christian Keysers has an article about “mirror neurons” in a book called What’s Next? Dispatches From the Future of Science. He’s a super-smart guy with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. In it he highlights findings about how our brains operate. Do you ever feel happy when you see someone else laugh? Or hurt when someone’s in … Continue reading What you expose yourself to
Informed decisions are good decisions
Informed decisions are good decisions. I’m pretty sure we’d all agree with that statement. But when it comes to what we read and hear—especially online—it’s easy to make quick conclusions that are anything but informed. The problem is compounded because of how quickly all the information comes at us. We’re bombarded. We hear breaking news, … Continue reading Informed decisions are good decisions
Punishment? Or consequence?
Today I want to address something that sometimes comes up in conversations. It’s kind of a big one. Someone will say, “Because of all this bad stuff happening in my life I feel like God is punishing me.” Have you ever said something like that? Have you ever felt it? I get where it comes … Continue reading Punishment? Or consequence?
God told me to _______
“God led me.” “God directed me.” “God told me to _____.” Maybe you’ve said something like that before. Maybe you’ve heard someone else say it. It’s often comes from a very sincere place: Someone (maybe even you) prays to God about something, and then has a strong feeling that they should act in a certain … Continue reading God told me to _______
If you’re in a hole, quit digging
Proverbs 26:11 says: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” In other words, if you keep making the same foolish mistake, you’re like a dog who keeps returning to its own vomit. Gross! When we take a moment to think about the mistakes we’ve made, many of us probably think … Continue reading If you’re in a hole, quit digging
