Verbal communication is part of everyday life. Perhaps nothing else brings such a combination of joy and frustration than the way we talk with each other. James expresses it the way: With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. The Holy Spirit has provided tools and directives to keep your talk both healthy and holy. Here are some of them: Check your Heart Attitude: Consider others more important than yourself. (Philippians 2:3-5) Let love be in control: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not dishonor […]
Wisdom
270 posts
When someone is unkind or attacks you, especially someone close to you, your first response is likely self-protection. If it is, things will go from bad to worse. The best way to protect yourself make sure you are honoring God with your response. For example, your 14-year-old says: “All you care about is your stupid rules! You care about your rules more than you do about me! Thanks a lot for not caring.” You feel hurt, disrespected and defensive. Your child is unable to appreciate the good you are trying to do. The defensive, natural response is to tell your teenager how wrong she is and telling her that her disrespect is the problem. Your teenager responds by thinking you […]
There is a prescription available that will improve the physical and spiritual health of your family. This prescription is what the Proverbs call “pleasant words” or “gracious speech.” The Holy Spirit says this kind of talk will bring spiritual and physical health to your family. Failure to use this medicine as directed may result in frustrated parents, children who resist instruction, drained emotions, as well as the physical and spiritual exhaustion for the entire family. Yes, pleasant words are that important! However, there is a heavy cost for this prescription. Parents have to relinquish their pride and embrace the path of humility. God’s remedy to heal the evil that plagues your children is not anger, intimidation, control, or force of […]
(continued from Part 1) The songwriter asked, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?” Your child may think, “Purity? I don’t think so, no way!” Parents, these thoughts 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. The pursuit of purity is a choice to live. To reject purity is a choice to pursue death. There is no middle ground! You see, life is about control. Will you be controlled by the Spirit of God or by the desires of your flesh? Again, there is no middle ground. This is what Paul is teaching us […]
Anger is a toxic sin that results in broken relationships. Anger is often a response to injustice. With God this is good. His motives and reasons for anger are always pure and right. Your child’s anger is also often a response to injustice. But his motives and reasons are seldom pure and right. A young child thinks he has been wronged because someone else has what he wants. A middle-schooler is angry because others are not kind to her. A teenager struggles with anger because he believes no one really cares about him. Children of any age experience anger when they believe their parents do not understand them. Paul in Ephesians 4: 26-27, has important things to teach about anger. […]
The book of Judges speaks of a people who once loved justice and truth, a people who loved God. But these people grew weary of the constraints of loving God and his truth. They devolved into being true to themselves. They became focused on doing what was right in their own eyes. They did what they wanted and expected God to bless them anyway. America, too, has moved on from the Bible and its views of morality. She now worships three modern substitutes for the living God of the Bible. These new “gods” have emerged to succeed and improve the supposed outdated structure of biblical Christianity. Here they are: Public Opinion Public opinion has assumed the role of Scripture. When […]
Things are not as they seem. It appears that everywhere we turn the wicked to appear to have the upper hand. Evil is continually finding new ways to shock and discourage. But the word of God assures us that things are not as they seem. King David wrote a song that was used to remind God’s people that the wicked have limits. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. (Psalm 37:10-11) David states that the meek shall inherit the land. Some 1,000 years later Jesus quotes these very words as he […]
You think you know who you are. You think you know what you want. The only problem is that today’s thoughts are different from yesterday’s. And tomorrow’s may change yet again. So, do you really know who you are? Are you really self-aware? The problem is we are too easily self-deceived. This is where self-awareness becomes an enigma. We think we know who we are, but we really don’t. Are we truly self-aware or are we self-deceived? How well do we know ourselves? How can we help our children gain self-awareness that is accurate? As Calvin said our wisdom is composed of two parts, our knowledge of God and our knowledge of ourselves and where one begins and the other […]
People are designed to live in continuous praise of the wonder of God. After the fall, man failed to live as he was intended. Instead of praise, self-focus and personal pleasure take center stage. Sin feeds on the desire for immediate pleasure. That is why a child can go from seeming bliss to outrage in an eye blink. One moment everything is fine. Then he sees his brother with a toy that he wants and he immediately erupts with a howl of outrage. Why? Because he doesn’t have what he wants, what he thinks he deserves. God wants his people to live a life of praise. Complaining and grumbling are not compatible with praise. The Bible teaches that God is […]
The middle portion of Psalm 23 begins with a commitment to renew your strength and to lead you along paths that are true. These comforting assurances are exactly what is needed to walk through the dark valleys of life. David understood well how dark these valleys can be. His song is filled with the emotions of loss, betrayal, grief, guilt, and sadness. He knew intimately the depth of despair that inhabits these valleys. Remember that David’s own sons attempted to take away his kingdom. One wanted to kill him. David knew loneliness and betrayal. He often had good reason for fear for his life and safety. Yet in the face of these anxiety-laden circumstances, he drew comfort that the […]