Ecclesiastes 4:12 says: “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” True. One cord is more easily broken than a braid with three strands of that same cord. But like so many other things in the Bible, it’s a concept that can be applied more widely. Let’s say you are one strand. By yourself, … Continue reading A cord of three strands
friends
The fresh air of friendship
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). Glenn Peterson is the President and Superintendent of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada. Recently he said, “You can never have enough kingdom friends.” Isn’t that the truth! In a world with a lot of isolation and … Continue reading The fresh air of friendship
Keeping confidences and lifebuoys
William White tells a story about two men who went from house to house seeking funds to help with someone who was sick. They went to the house of a rich man hoping he could help. The rich man wanted to know who the sick man was. He was willing to give a financial donation. … Continue reading Keeping confidences and lifebuoys
A shared sorrow and a shared solution
There are times when you go through something challenging. You’re downcast. People can tell. They ask you if you want to talk about it. “Oh no,” you respond, “you’d never understand.” They say: “Try me.” So you share something about your struggle—just a little, not a lot. But it’s just enough for that other person … Continue reading A shared sorrow and a shared solution
A helping hand
All this week we’ve been thinking about Jesus’ words in Luke 6:31: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This verse takes a second to say, and a life-time to try to live out. But since these worthy words are from the lips of King Jesus, it’s definitely a noble and … Continue reading A helping hand
Aiming ammo at allies?
Neil Anderson fought in the Second World War. His unit was facing what was known as the Siegfried line, a set of defence fortifications facing German’s border with France. Looking out over the landscape it seemed harmless. But a keen eye determined that what looked like a normal barn was actually a well-camouflaged bunker housing … Continue reading Aiming ammo at allies?
Finding Jesus in daily life
My kids went through a stage of loving the “Where’s Waldo?” books. They were large search-and-find books. You looked through intricately detailed pictures to find Waldo—a guy wearing a toque, a red and white striped shirt, and blue jeans. Sometimes—actually, a lot of times—he’s hard to find. Maybe it’s a strange comparison but Jesus can … Continue reading Finding Jesus in daily life
The talent you never knew you had
I’m guessing that a lot of you have a talent you never knew you had: Listening. Many people are burdened. Maybe that’s why Paul encouraged the Galatians to “Carry each other’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2) People had them then. People have them now. Listening is just that. Listening. Not talking. Not solving. Not judging. Not fixing. … Continue reading The talent you never knew you had
The opposite of ‘misery loves company’
Have you heard the expression that “misery loves company”? It’s the idea that people who are miserable find some sort of comfort by being around other people who are miserable. I’ve also heard it used to express the idea that people who are miserable find some sort of comfort by sucking other people into their … Continue reading The opposite of ‘misery loves company’
Simply showing up
Yesterday I talked about being useful, and asked you this question: How can we be useful to Jesus as his hands and feet in a hurting world by being proactive about the well-being of others? Usefulness is the hands and feet of faithfulness. Sometimes these opportunities to be useful arise through specific initiatives or programs … Continue reading Simply showing up
The Up Devotional 