Are you feeling hurt, furious and mad as can be, because of a circumstance or a person? But when you are asked “How are you?” you smile and say “I’m fine.”
For some reason, we think that Christianity is to control our emotions. We think “As long as I don’t let my anger show, I’m being a good Christian.” Unfortunately, holding it in isn’t dealing with it. The Christian life isn’t a matter of improving your acting ability. It’s a matter of yielding yourself to God’s Spirit, in whatever circumstances you might find yourself.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to reflect on our behavior! Are we truly living the abundant life God has for us, or are we settling for less? One of the ways we can think about this is to ask ourselves, “Am I carnal or am I spiritual?” These are two biblical words with important implications. Knowing what these words mean, and understanding how they play out in our lives, can determine the difference between having effective human relations and poor human relations.
What’s the attraction that draws people into a church? Is it an old-fashioned service, planned around formal routine, or is it a modern service with elements of spontaneity? What makes the difference? I believe it is not the style of the service, but what the preacher has to say.
What difficulty are you currently experiencing in your life: a relationship, a financial burden, job insecurity, unhappiness with your circumstances, a difficult child, an aging parent, conflict in your church or with your neighbor?
If we listen to the “experts” or even to the ordinary folk we live with every day, we hear many different explanations for why people do bad things. What most of these explanations have in common is a tendency to say that the behavior is not really the fault of the one who does it.
Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3).
Do you ever wish you could make someone do the right thing? Parents often watch their children make bad decisions and feel powerless to do anything about it. Unfortunately, many just give in and put a “band-aid” on a situation by giving money instead of time, ignoring a situation instead of disciplining, or trying to be their child’s friend instead of their parent. The best way to love your child is to care enough to correct them when they need it.