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
relationships
Guessing at people’s motives
This week we’re considering Luke 6:31: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It can be tempting to over-simply this idea. That’s what we do when we say it’s “just about being nice.” Well, being nice is good—but it steers us away from thinking more deeply and intentionally about how to … Continue reading Guessing at people’s motives
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
Comfortis
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). As far as I can tell, … Continue reading Comfortis
Look to the example of others
We’ve been talking about perseverance. In the Bible, James gave some very down-to-earth counsel to those enduring hardship: “Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered” (James 5:10-11). … Continue reading Look to the example of others
Undermining your own goldmine
Do you want to persevere through this challenging chapter of life? If so, James 5 provides some powerful and down-to-earth How-To’s. Amongst other things he says, “Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged” (verse 9). Perhaps his first-century audience was in the habit of moaning and groaning against each … Continue reading Undermining your own goldmine
Quick to listen
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20). Quick to listen. The KJV translation says “swift to hear.” Either way, the meaning is clear. When we’re NOT quick to listen to God or to the concerns … Continue reading Quick to listen
You’re not the only one
One of the things I’m going to be teaching about this coming Sunday (July 12) is humility. Throughout the Bible it is consistently listed as a virtue we should strive for: --Micah 6:8 famously says to “walk humbly with your God.” --Speaking against shouldering our way into the places of honour at wedding dinners, Jesus … Continue reading You’re not the only one
To help us pilot our lives
Have you ever wanted to some wisdom or direction for something you're dealing with? -You’ve prayed—but still aren’t sure what to do. -You’ve read the Bible—but still aren’t sure what to do. -You’ve fasted—but still aren’t sure what to do. In these situations, God is so merciful to us. He puts people in our lives … Continue reading To help us pilot our lives
To simply listen
Today is Valentine’s Day. Although it’s a day often characterized by cards, chocolates and romance, did you know that Valentine was actually a Christian martyr from the 3rd century? [If you want to know more about him, or some advice for a stronger love, click on the blog post below.] But today I want to … Continue reading To simply listen
