“Love is giving willingly of whatever I have to meet someone’s need.” I can almost hear someone reacting, “Wait a minute! That might be a partial definition of love. But what about the deep feelings, the driving emotional mood that is also supposed to accompany love. This definition leaves that part out.” There is an unspoken expectation that is associated with love. This human assumption is that when you love there are huge emotional benefits that make love something good for you. When you say you love someone, your natural self is expecting good things to happen to you because of your “love”. Imagine Christmases, anniversaries, Valentine’s Days where you were the only one doing the sacrificial giving . You […]
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People were designed by God to worship. At the fall man lost his ability to know whom to worship. So, we worship counterfeit gods. This is the worship we were born to as fallen creatures. It is the enemy’s scheme that when we participate in corporate worship we do so to earn God’s favor. But our God is a jealous God. He will not share his glory with counterfeit pretenders. May we see God for who he is, not for what we want him to be. May we say with the Psalmist: But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Life is about control. Specifically, who is in control. It starts at birth. Babies naturally want to be fed, dry and know comfort. When one of these conditions is not met, who is in control becomes an issue. Later on there is a toy that is appealing, someone’s attention that is desired, and yes, feelings of hunger still matter. Teenagers want control of their time, of how they are perceived, and the lives of those they may be attracted to. Adults want control of outcomes: things like income, relationships, personal appearance, political elections. And as age moves on the focus shifts to more immediate issues — how much longer will I live. In the end, it comes full circle; once […]
“Hey mom, Jeremy is upset.” “Okay Sarah, I’ll be right there.” The real story here is what mom is saying to herself. “Here we go again. Sarah is always making Jeremy upset. I can’t finish anything without somebody having an issue.” “Dad, I’m really sorry I messed up and forgot to cut the grass. I’ll get to it right after lunch. Sorry dad.” “Aaron, when is this pattern going to change? You need to start being responsible. Don’t make promises you can’t keep!” What dad is thinking: “I can’t believe this kid. Always an excuse. At least I didn’t yell at him. I just hope he gets his act together before its too late. I’m getting really tired of this.” […]
Parenting is a challenging task — at times even overwhelming. There are countless remedies offered from every corner to make parenting easier and less stressful. Yet despite all the advice and devices, at the end of the day, parents are tired and weary. Weary not only because of the trials of the day just finished, but also weary because tomorrow is just a few hours away. In this in-between time, the tiredness often reaches its peak. The free advice and stress-reducing gadgets offer little consolation. Even Bible verses may seem disconnected from the pressures of getting ready for tomorrow. Perhaps the most discouraging realization is knowing that in the morning you will wake up as weary as you are now. […]
Laodicea would have been classified as “red” city if it were around today. The city was a prosperous financial and trade center. It was known for its fine linens. It had a great medical school. It was a city of beauty, and the arts flourished there. In 60 A.D. an earthquake leveled the city. The citizens refused any assistance from the Roman government and rebuilt the city solely with their own funds. Laodicea would certainly make the top ten list of the most desirable places to live and raise a family. After all, a place like Laodicea provided the opportunity for children to become involved in higher education, sports, the arts and community service. Laodicea also had a church. The […]
You give your wife flowers and say you love her, but she remains distant. You apologize to your teenager for being angry and tell him you love him, but the barriers are still up. You give your middle-schooler an expensive birthday present with a note that says “I love you”, yet her smile is only half-hearted. Is the answer more flowers, a bigger and better present, a more sincere apology? Probably not. However, there is one thing you can do that will demonstrate the genuineness of your love. You can listen well. When there is an argument it is all too easy to think you know what the other person is thinking even before the first word is spoken. The […]
Hurricane Matthew is going to Florida. Millions are evacuating their homes as Hurricane Matthew, predicted to be a category 4 at landfall, advances towards the Florida east coast. The storm is forecast to bring damaging winds and a devastating surge of water all along the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Millions more will lose power for days and possibly much longer. Human lives are at stake. Matthew will not be ignored. The President has urged people to take whatever steps are necessary to protect themselves. The governors of Florida and South Carolina have declared a state of emergency and have taken aggressive measures to prepare for Matthew. All of this is good and necessary. But no government leader, so […]
Here are three questions you should ask yourself about your communication with those you love. The way you answer these questions provides insight into the areas where your conversations must grow in depth and in maturity. First question: Do your spouse and your children have confidence that they will be able to say all that is on their heart without fear of your response? Is your family accustomed to being cut off or being corrected before they can finish speaking? Do you interrupt because you think you know what is coming? If this is your pattern you are building relational barriers that are difficult to overcome. Those closest to you need to be able to express what is on their […]
This morning, millions along the southeastern coast of the United States are asking this question, “Where will Matthew go?” Matthew is, of course, the Category 4 Hurricane currently devastating portions of Haiti and Cuba. Even as watches have been posted for the Florida east coast, the question remains — is the path of this storm random, totally subject to shifting patterns of low and high pressure? Are we watching nature roll the dice in a deadly game of chance? This is the view expressed if you watch the unfolding drama displayed on the 24/7 news cycle. Yes, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) provides sophisticated forecasts, but if you listen carefully, sophisticated forecasts means sophisticated guesswork. This is not to fault […]