There are lots of things I wasn’t aware of when I became a Christian. My faith was shallow, because I was just a baby in the faith. I didn’t know there were times when God doesn’t fix things. I thought if I prayed just the right kind of prayers and believed, then everything would go my way.
The solution to every problem you have.
Here’s what is true. You are carrying a burden that gnaws at your mind and heart.
Embrace suffering. Keep smiling.
We often view success and good fortune as milestones, markers that indicate we’re moving in the right direction. But let’s flip the script for a second. Pain and suffering can be just as transformative, if not more so.
Losers Like Us
“And they all left him and fled.” – Mark 14:50 (ESV)
Those disciples. They bailed on their Master and friend. This hits home for those of us who’ve faced loneliness or have felt like we let someone down. Isn’t it comforting to know that Jesus Himself, the Savior of the world, understands what it’s like to be lonely?
No shame to ask for prayer.
The thing is, it’s not like faking being sick to get out of school or work. I’ve been having to fake being well.
Another Mass Shooting, Where Do We Start? Lament.
How do we weep with those who weep when the fog of a national crisis descends?
How to suffer well.
Christianity doesn’t give us a free pass out of suffering. You will suffer. I guarantee it. It’s right and proper to acknowledge you’re hurting, and hurting bad. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean your suffering will be any easier or more endurable What it does mean is that you can see your suffering as one point in a timeline that stretches out into eternity. For Christians, that means that the best is still ahead of us.
Being whole: 7 thoughts.
What does it look like to be whole? I want to be whole. I’ve been on this kick of moving from brokenness to wholeness. You probably have recognized this. I’ve figured this out – not because I’m all that brilliant, but just because it’s self-evident. The thought is to be complete in Christ. That’s what […]
Broken us. 10 principles.
We are all broken in some fashion, aren’t we? And brokenness can manifest itself in broken relationships.
This is a theme I tend to return to often, Broken relationships are just excruciating. Let’s suss this out, and let me see if we can get some guidance here.
Moving from brokenness to wholeness.
This “brokenness to wholeness” paradigm is a pony I’m riding hard these days. Why? Because I’m seeing broken Christians everywhere I turn, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. So in these days I want to contribute to the Kingdom by addressing this, and even providing some tools to move hurting believers in […]
Helping broken Christians feel better.
These days, I’m fixated on helping broken Christians feel better.
It’s tempting to talk about “in this season of life,” or “my calling,” or other noble-sounding catch phrases. These can become cliche real fast.
Seriously, though, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what I’m supposed to be when I grow up. Helping broken Christians feel better might be part of that equation.
Return to wholeness.
Through my service in Christian ministry for 40+ years, I’ve seen so many believers stall out in their faith – they spend their days frustrated, defeated, and even desperate. Broken, in other words. The fulfilling Christian life that others seem to experience eludes them.I know what I’m talking about – you could count me among that number.