Christmas approaches. With it the angel’s announcement: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Let’s zero-in on that word “Saviour.” Yes, Jesus saves. But what does he save us from? Certainly estrangement from God, from death, from the consequences of sin, … Continue reading Admitting desperation
honesty
Honest, but not cutting
This week we’re spending some time with Jesus’ words in Luke 6:31: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It’s the principle of moral reciprocity. Living it out is a life-long effort. To fight against the tendency to oversimply this high ethical calling, we’re taking some time to think through a … Continue reading Honest, but not cutting
RationaLies
It’s easy to lie to ourselves, isn’t it? We take the easy path instead of the right path—and rationalize it.We can be lazy instead of diligent—and rationalize it.We sometimes avoid the reality of God’s word—and rationalize it. Psychologist Charles Lowery says this: “Rationalize means Rational Lies.”* Bam! When we say or do something that is … Continue reading RationaLies
Dirty windows
Someone shared a newspaper clipping with me.* It told about a young couple who had moved into a new home. Every so often the wife would look out the window and see her neighbour hanging her laundry out to dry. “That laundry is not very clean; she doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she … Continue reading Dirty windows
Shrove Tuesday explained
Today is Shrove Tuesday. But what is it all about? Lent is the time of spiritual preparation leading up to the main event in the Christian faith: Easter. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent begins. The name comes from a practice in England to “shrive” on this day: seeking and receiving forgiveness from God … Continue reading Shrove Tuesday explained
Honest about how dependent you are
When someone says you should “shine your light,” what comes to mind? -Helping someone in need? -Talking about Jesus? -Doing your best? What about being honest about how dependent you are on God? If he’s our Teacher, then it follows that we need teaching. If he’s our Healer, then it follows that we need healing. … Continue reading Honest about how dependent you are
Don’t pretend to be perfect
Okay, let’s be honest. Some people who believe in Christ can fall into a trap: Pretending to be perfect. You’re right: It’s not always true! But it’s sometimes true, isn’t it? Speaking to the believers in Corinth, Paul said, “we are ambassadors for Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:20). And who doesn’t want to be a good … Continue reading Don’t pretend to be perfect
Feeling gross and dense
At some point or another, all of us struggle with guilt. We do something wrong, we act poorly toward another person, we disobey one (or many) of God’s commands, we make a bad decision that results in many negative consequences. And that weighs heavily on us. Have you ever fell into the water with all … Continue reading Feeling gross and dense
the good news about your weakness
One of the mistakes we often make is to pretend we have it all together when we don’t. It happens innocently enough. A lot of us are doing our prayerful best to grow and become more like Jesus. But we can exaggerate or embellish our progress! Take me for example. I often don’t have answers to … Continue reading the good news about your weakness
Ambiguity: the enemy of action
Yesterday I talked about the unpopular and much-neglected process of repentance. In fact, since it flies in the face of our Do-Anything-That-Makes-You-Happy society I kind of wonder if some of you will actually unsubscribe to this devotional after you read this! 🙂 But since repentance is biblical, it matters. And what matters to God should … Continue reading Ambiguity: the enemy of action
The Up Devotional 