Unfortunately, temptation is often a part of life. Some people are tempted to over-spend or worry too much. Some are tempted to engage in habits they know dishonour God. Some people are tempted to laziness or excessive screen time. It really just depends on the person. Recently I was reading the book of James and … Continue reading Dragged away
integrity
The cardinal virtue
The cardinal virtue is humility. It stands opposite pride and ego. So the more you cultivate humility, with God’s help, the more you prepare yourself to be a more loving person. In fact, and just in case you need some extra motivation to cultivate humility in your life, check out James 4:6: “God opposes the … Continue reading The cardinal virtue
Your impact can last
Being a person of your word—a person of integrity who does their best to do what they say they’re going to do—has a positive impact that can literally last for generations. Skeptical? Think of someone from your past who had a really positive impact on you—someone who was a person of their word, someone who … Continue reading Your impact can last
Your reliability can make an impact
Right now I’m in a teaching series about how to be a person of your word in a world of verbal mistrust. [See the 50-second preview video here.] It’s generating a lot of interesting discussions. And in today’s devotional, I’d like to dig into something I’ll be talking a little bit more about this coming … Continue reading Your reliability can make an impact
When you haven’t kept your word
For the past two days I’ve been talking about being a person of your word—a person who is honest and trustworthy. In Matthew 5:37 Jesus taught about the importance of speaking with sincerity: “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” It’s a statement that … Continue reading When you haven’t kept your word
A light, even in your words
Yesterday’s devotional was about being a person of your word. I said that people who keep their promises keep track of their promises. It makes total sense. If you’re going to be a person who is trustworthy and who keeps their promises, you have to know what they are. You need to keep track of … Continue reading A light, even in your words
Can you remember what you promised?
Before the world of contracts and fine print, do you remember hearing about agreements that were made on the shake of a hand? Remember when someone could be trusted “at their word”? Nowadays, that seems rare. We live in an age of verbal mistrust. So many people break promises that it doesn’t even surprise us … Continue reading Can you remember what you promised?
Chauffeur knowledge vs Real knowledge
In 1918 Max Plank won the Nobel Prize for physics. As was sometimes customary back then he went on a speaking tour. He traveled Germany with his chauffeur giving lectures on Quantum Mechanics. Every night he gave the same lecture. His chauffeur commented that it had become very predictable. In fact, the material had become … Continue reading Chauffeur knowledge vs Real knowledge
Apply this to yourself first
Yesterday’s devotional was about being “judgmental.” Contrary to what some people think, it’s actually okay to offer a humble word of constructive criticism to someone—just make sure you’ve first applied the same standard to yourself. Today, let’s go a bit further. After making the previous point, Jesus says: “Do not give dogs what is sacred; … Continue reading Apply this to yourself first
Before you correct someone do this
When people tell you to not be “judgmental” they sometimes cite Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” That’s definitely a powerful word for all of us! But what many people skip over is what Jesus says in verses 4-5: “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let … Continue reading Before you correct someone do this
