We all have them in our lives. The people who rub us the wrong way, the people who break all our ideas of social decorum. The people who seem bent on offending, hurting, or betraying us. The people who are difficult to love. Some of them we interact with daily: a stubborn spouse, rebellious toddler, […]
The Reality of Waiting The first weeks of excitement and anticipation were suddenly swallowed up with the words, “There is no heartbeat.” As the days and months after her loss slog slowly by, Jane begins to wonder if her first pregnancy will be her last. Will the Lord again open her womb? The longer she […]
Have you ever wanted someone dead? Scripture tells us of a man who not only wanted someone dead but did everything he could to see that it happened. This man was Haman. Many of you are familiar with the story of Esther, the queen who risked her own life to save her people. Many of […]
The Fear of Loss Living in Uganda, I was made painfully aware of possible threats to the life and health of my children. Some of the deadliest snakes loved the nearby river. Accidently imbibing tap water or eating out could mean bacterial infections. Driving continually reminded me of my finitude. I prayed daily, sometimes hourly […]
In my last article, I mentioned that when faced with failure, we tend to flee for refuge to one of three idols: control, comfort, or approval. We saw how Americans, surrounded by comfort, often hide under its shifting shadow. But comfort is not our only antidote to failure; we also chase the dazzling rays of […]
Burning Incense Imagine you experienced a reeling personal failure. You were fired from your job, your boyfriend said you were too clingy and broke up with you, your child retreats from you and your controlling clutches. What is your response? Do you desperately try to get back that which you lost? Do you call your […]
Death Dregs Ancient Greece, on the edge of collapse, was a pleasure-driven society. The people’s primary objective was their own happiness. In a society that had revoked the gods and organized religion, happiness was whatever satisfied unbridled lust and desire. Men fornicated with countless women and as many men—and boys. Women offered their wares to […]
Food Rules Our society is riddled with various and contradictory ideas about food, and these ideas have penetrated our churches. Committed vegetarians proudly remind us that in their perfect state, Adam and Eve were herbivores and that Daniel’s complexion brightened on his greens and beans diet. Zealous, whole-foods folks point out that the Israelites—a people […]
When I was attending college I remember coming home over Christmas break and constantly hearing stories from my family about things they were doing to build God’s kingdom. I started asking myself what I was doing to help. I wasn’t attending a Bible study, sharing the gospel on campus, volunteering at a soup kitchen—nothing. Was […]
Getting What I Deserve It was the same discussion we had many times before. He argued for God’s goodness and our utter depravity. As a good Calvinist, I couldn’t deny either. So my frustration mounted. “I know God is good and that I am wicked in myself. But to say that even my best […]