Today I am reposting the letter my wife, Ruth, wrote to our church about her response to what was most important to her once she was diagnosed with brain cancer. My prayer continues to be that I would embrace these priorities as my own. I pray that for you as well. Here is the letter written April 25, 2010: “Twenty-five days ago, on the first day of April, God got my attention with a malignant brain tumor. It’s been quite a month, and now I’m on my way to surgery, tomorrow morning. You all have been wonderful to us, loving and helping us in many ways, and we are very, very grateful for our church family. But what I want […]
Monthly Archives: July 2017
13 posts
Disappointment, frustration, bitterness, sadness, hurt: these are words that all too frequently describe our relationships, especially with people we love. Why is that? Perhaps the most common reason is that you are asking people to do what only God can do. When people occupy the place in your life that God has reserved for himself, you will find disappointment and frustration. No one can bear the weight of being your God except God. When you place your spouse, your children, your parents, your close friends, anyone in the role of being your satisfaction, your affirmation in life, hard times will follow. No human can bear that weight! Safety and security are found only in God. Listen to the words of […]
Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Or asked another way, if I do stay pure, where is the fun in that? These questions are daggers pointed at the hearts of your kids. It is foolish to ignore them. It is equally foolish to answer these questions by simply enforcing rules and being angry at wrong behavior. Let me explain. Following God by living a life of purity is a path that marks teenagers as social misfits in our culture. As a parent, you have to get this! Psalm 73 unveils the emotional battle your kids face with clarity. The boundaries of purity contrasted with a culture that mocks purity can lead to a response of bitterness in your […]
Is it stupid to be pure? People have been asking this question for thousands of years. The pursuit of purity appears to be out of touch with a life of enjoyment. Purity means dull, boring and unexciting, at least that is what modern culture teaches. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a commercial shouting out the value of being pure and decent? A song writer felt this tension 3,000 years ago. In frustration he complained that fat cats got whatever they wanted. God and biblical morality were mocked in his world, very much like they are today. People lived for pleasure and appeared to suffer no harm from their lustful pursuits. The song writer observed that people were […]
No, this post is not a weather forecast! Rather it is about whether or not you can avoid the storms of life. Is it possible for the storms not to come? Can wisdom and faith in God help steer a course away from these storms? Jesus answers this at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. His answer is clear. Strong, violent storms are certain to come. This stern warning coming at the end of the beautiful and moving sermon is surprising. The ending you might expect would be one of warmth and encouragement. Instead Jesus finishes with urgent concerns about false teachers and the ravaging storms of life. Therefore, Christ’s focus is not on avoiding the storms, but […]
There are three important considerations regarding biblical discipline. First, discipline is meant to highlight the unpleasantness of sin. Discipline, must not be confused with retribution. A child ought to be motivated to avoid discipline. It is important that parents respond with pleasant, even words in the course of discipline. This is because it is pleasant words, and not anger, that promotes instruction (Proverbs 16:20-24). Second, the fruit of discipline is not always seen immediately. This is where faith comes into play. Assurance comes from things that are not seen (Hebrews 11:1). So, there may not be immediate confirmation that the discipline “worked.” Parents should not discipline simply to manipulate kids into better behavior. Christian parents are to discipline in faith, […]
Children often have fears when they get ready for bed. The scary thoughts don’t really start at bedtime. They are usually there during the daytime, but doing the day there are often enough distractions to not be focused on being afraid. However, at night, when things are calm and the distractions are gone, the scary thoughts return. It is important to grasp for yourself and for your children the reality of fear and the objects of fear. Your children’s fears are not abstract, but real. David addresses the reality of this in Psalm 23 when he says: Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Whether it is a […]
God designed people to be followers, specifically followers of him. So, by design, being a follower is a good thing. But, when Adam fell, man’s good inclination to be a follower became a dangerous human trait. Instead of being exclusively locked on to trusting and following God, people became open to following what seemed most attractive to them. This means that your children, even the strong-willed ones, are born followers. But instead of naturally following God, their hearts are programed to follow anything but God. (Ephesians 2:1-3) Said another way, your children are born to be influenced. With regard to influence, quantity matters. It is not who says it first or best. What matters is who says it most. This […]
This note is from an unpublished collection of notes written to a daughter of a close family friend. She is like many young children. She struggles with fears, with the sad things in life, with being afraid when she goes to sleep at night. As I wrote this one, I thought it might be helpful to some of you as well. This is note 28 of 30. Hi sweetheart, One thing we have talked about in these notes is that being sad and being afraid are part of life. So, you should not be surprised when you feel sadness or fear. The really comforting thing is that God knows all about being sad and fearful. What God wants you to […]
The world is a scary place. You don’t know when or where the next terrorist attack will happen. You cannot will your children to safety. You cannot wish cancer away. You cannot remove the drunk driver from the road. You cannot force world leaders to be wise and responsible. You cannot stop dangers on the playground or even in your backyard. You cannot stop the hurricane or earthquake. In short, you cannot eliminate the things that bring fear in this life. If this is true, how can you know peace? How can you teach your children to not be dominated by fear? Here is a prayer for trust written by Ruth Younts. Father in heaven, please help me to trust […]