Is it to give him information? The problem here is that God already knows everything about you that could be known. Is it because he tells us to talk with him and tell him about our cares and concerns? This is headed in the right direction! But even here, we may be tempted to let God know how we think things should work out. The best reason to talk with God is because he wants us to! He desires our friendship, it is what you and I are created for – to bring honor to his name in all that we do. Ephesians 2:10 So, if we talk with God to let him know about our problems and to encourage […]
Wisdom
270 posts
Here is a brief application from Romans 8 that teaches Christians do not have to be controlled by fear. Christians need not fear condemnation. verse 1 Christians are not controlled by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit. verse 9 Christians are not slaves to fear, but to the Holy Spirit. verse 15 If you rely only on what is seen you will be controlled by fear. verse 24 If you rely on what is unseen, you have hope. verse 24 Even in your weak moments of worry and fear, the Spirit intercedes for you. verse 26 Your deepest fears have been searched out by God and are known to him. verse 27 The Holy Spirit, intimately aware of your […]
You should not be surprised when people are irritating. Actually, you should expect them to be. It is time to stop being shocked that people sin. Isn’t that negative thinking? No, this is realistic thinking that is in line with God’s commands. Here are a few examples: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Do not be overcome by evil, but evil with good. Romans 12:21 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 These are four of many commands about how to address irritating behavior. […]
Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. Job has received another of the horrible curses handed out to him by God. All that he could do is scrape himself clean. In one of the most compassionate outbursts of eloquent care ever given from a woman to her husband, His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” A little context is helpful to grasp just how ugly these words are. Job is in agony. She is saying that is obvious God has completely abandoned him. Stop acting that God has anything to do with all of this except to mock you and humiliate […]
“I’m really glad Dad spoke to me about that; I really needed his help.” “Mom, thanks for caring enough to keep me out of trouble.” The purpose of biblical authority is encourage and build up ( 2 Corinthians 13:10). But sometimes our children are last ones to recognize this. Here are three principles to help make the exercise your authority a blessing to your children. First: Listen well so that you can speak well. Commit yourself to be a skilled, aggressive listener. Your goal is to be able to repeat the words you hear back to your children in such a way that they can affirm that you really do understand them. You don’t always have to agree, but you […]
Contentment is being satisfied because God is working everything together for my good and for his glory. Being content is only possible if you serve a big God. A God who is big enough to love you because of his commitment to you, a God who knows all that is wrong with you and has bought back your life from the pit. Only God can make contentment possible. Only this God can give you the peace you need to be content as you bring the gospel to your children. Pray the prayer below. Teach it to your children. Teach it to yourself! You and I need this every bit as much as our kids do! If you perceive you are […]
By Paul Tripp True identity is rooted in worshiping God as Creator. To have a sense of identity that will not fail you when you are buffeted by the sure-to-come storms of life, you must start at the beginning. Every part of the fabric of your personhood was carefully knit together by God’s creative hands. There was no part of you that was hidden from him. He carefully examined every aspect of your unformed body before you were born. There were no accidents, no glitches, no thoughtless moments. Just like David, you too were “fearfully and wonderfully” made. The color of your eyes, the shape of your body, your intellectual and physical gifts, your hair, your voice, your personality, the […]
Suppose you lived in an area that was in a constant state of urban warfare. It might be guerrilla warfare, or tribal disputes, or ethnic hatred or prolonged civil war. In these types of warfare, Christians are often acceptable targets. For families living in one of these media-neglected war zones, going outside to play can act of reckless endangerment. The instructions you give your children are instructions of life and death. If your kids fail to follow your directions to the letter they may pay with their life. An inviting, innocent looking object lying the ground may be a death trap. Failing to follow the exact path you give them to bring fresh water to your home may result in […]
In Proverbs 6:20-22 Solomon tells children that God’s instruction is so significant they must make it part of their inner life. This truth is precious; it is to be displayed like fine jewelry. But the success of the instruction is noted in verse 22 when truth begins to protect those who have heard it. Yes, commands must be taught. Yes, they must be valued and received. But things must not stop here. The process is not complete until what has been learned begins to work itself back to the outside world again. The process is not complete until the commands of God begin to show the fruit of protection in the lives of those who have been taught. Look carefully […]
A scenario: You have the unbearable burden of teaching your children God’s wisdom. It is exhausting work. Sometimes you wonder why you even bother. All you ever get in return is frustration and resistance. It is almost unbelievable the effort it takes to teach your children to be kind and considerate, to be unselfish. But then you realize that there is no one else to teach them. So, you bare down and keep going. Question, based upon this scenario what type of results would you expect? Not really a difficult task to figure one out, is it? Obviously, this example is absurd. But, you get the point. If you are not excited and happy to teach something, don’t expect the […]