Life is a series of choices. For example, I choose to drink coffee on a daily basis. Even more so, I choose to not put cream or sugar in my coffee. Until recently, I also chose to not drink coffee with ice in it (I was convinced that God himself disliked cold coffee – a total misinterpretation of the Old Testament). Your life is a series of choices, too. Every day you choose what to eat, what to wear, whether to work out or sleep in. You choose how to spend your time – watching television, reading a book, or doing crossword puzzles. You choose the words you use. You choose your tone of voice. You choose to pray or not to pray. The question is not will you make a choice but will you make the right choice? And will you continue to make the right choice again and…
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It's been a while since I've flexed my blogging muscles. Not that we haven't been busy. We closed on our new house last week movie using services from adtmoving online and have been painting, enormous amounts of house cleaning, cleaning up paint, boxing, and unboxing. It's been so much fun! In a way, moving is cathartic. Next to each box was a trash bag. If I hadn't seen something in the last five years, it became a candidate for the trash bag, and we also got some pest removal services to help us keep the house clean. Things I thought I once "had to have" went in the bag. Or, they went to Goodwill so the circle of life can continue. The other nice thing about moving is getting to re-create your space. Same stuff, different rooms and angles. For the first four hours, it feels like you're at a…
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Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Be united with other Christians. A wall with loose bricks is not good. The bricks must be cemented together.” I learned that lesson the hard way as a rambunctious kindergartener who climbed a wall with loose bricks. It was not good. In fact, the wall collapsed and I broke my left leg. Adding insult to injury (at least to a five-year-old boy), a neighbor girl had to carry me home. Too many Christ-followers are too independent. Their lives resemble a wall with loose bricks. Decoratively speaking, the wall may appear to be OK. With a little pressure, challenge, or storm, the wall collapses. "The bricks must be cemented together."
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This past weekend, I spoke on the early church and their response to opposition. Instead of praying for deliverance, they prayed for boldness: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness" (Acts 4:29). Let's be honest: Most of us would have prayed for deliverance. "God, get rid of these people ... fix this problem ... smooth out this bump ... give me more money!" Instead, these believers prayed for a boldness equal to their challenge. Here's the choice we must make when faced with difficulties: While I allow these difficulties to deepen my determination or defeat my determination? Often, we allow difficulties to defeat our determination. Or, to put it this way, we give up. We walk away, give in, fold over. Is there a proper time to quit? Yes. Sometimes it is foolish to continue down an unproductive path. However, just…
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Admit it: most of us don't like conflict. And for those of you who do ... well, the rest of us try to avoid you. That being said, not all conflict is bad. In some respects, conflict can be a gift. Consider this: Conflict may move a person from apathy to action. Conflict may lead to the righting of a wrong. Conflict is a symptom that something is hurting. Resolving the conflict brings healing. But I believe one of the best gifts conflict can provide is clarity. In the midst of battle, core beliefs surface. When faced with a difficult challenge, we must decide what to hold onto and what to let go. In other words, "What am I willing to die for?" When the apostles, Peter and John, were confronted by the Sanhedrin and asked how they healed a lame man, they responded: "Rulers and elders of the people! If…
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