My guess is that the idea of forgiving God could sound irreverent. I also know, however, that for some of us it’s a struggle that is real– even if that makes us morally and spiritually suspect. Because of terrible things that have happened to us, we are angry, embittered, and beside ourselves in disappointment with […]
As I try to recall some of the discoveries that I think have changed my perspective on the Bible, each seems, for the moment, to be the most important. That’s the way I feel when I remember learning that, to be genuine and real in our relationship to Christ, we need to be aware that […]
By every indication, Mr. Rogers’ advocacy and love for children were real. For over 30 years and 998 TV episodes, his relaxed “won’t you be my neighbor” approach helped a generation of kids to learn a lot about themselves and life. As a former Presbyterian minister, Fred Rogers would undoubtedly be the first to say, […]
A friend challenged me today to do some thinking about why authenticity keeps showing up as a value of young people. Looking for a place to start, I checked out some dictionary definitions for authentic. What I found wasn’t surprising: Definition: Not false or copied; genuine; real But then I bumped into something I want […]
I’m on edge today. Here’s what’s happening. I’ve agreed to make a presentation to a group of church leaders on the subject of marital abuse. The invitation came as a result of materials and programs we have done on the subject. As I prepare for the presentation, I find myself with mixed feelings. I’m not […]
Seems to me that we can be thankful that God’s ability to care for us is not limited to obvious suspensions of natural law. Your responses to my post on “Miracles” shows something better than “first century” expressions of supernatural power. The fact that none of us have seen anyone feed 5000 people with a […]
Someone has observed that, “There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; or you can live as if everything is a miracle.” In my last post on miracles I said that, much of the time, I’m inclined to take the second point of view. One of your comments […]
Have you ever seen someone go into a healing meeting with a withered arm or leg, and come out whole? Have you ever seen someone go to a miracle healer with advanced Parkinsons’, a cleft palate, or a prosthesis of any kind and come out completely and totally healed? Now, don’t get me wrong. I […]
I remember, years ago, talking to a Christian counselor who told me he’s convinced that, as a church, we have done a far better job understanding Christ’s death for us, than we have understood the implications of his resurrection. He went on to say that while he believes our reliance upon Jesus’ sacrificial death for […]
Without hope no one can live. Yet, hope can be cruel. Solomon reminds us that, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov 13:8). So much of our unhappiness is the result of thinking we are going to get something better than we end up with. Yet no one will argue that disappointment and despair are […]
I heard it 40 years ago. I was taking what seemed to be a fairly uninspiring course on the historical geography of the Bible. At the time I didn’t realize that the professor was teaching his last class. His health failed mid semester and he didn’t return to teaching. Even though my memory is a […]
Why do you think so many followers of Christ start strong and then become disillusioned over time? Or maybe I shouldn’t assume that’s what you’ve seen. Maybe I should ask you a more balanced question. Is it your hunch that most people who begin strong end up being as hopeful, as warm hearted, and as […]
Scandals among followers of Christ almost always raise questions about the validity of our faith. As regrettable, unnecessary, and damaging as such moral failures are, I’m convinced that they confirm– rather than deny– the wisdom of our constant need for Christ. Here’s another discovery that has changed the way I look at the Bible. See […]
Do you have just a minute? I’ll keep this short. I have a question I want to ask you? How can we possibly come together around the issues that divide us? There’s so much we increasingly disagree about. Yet that is a thought that set up me up for one of the most memorable experiences […]
Crucifixion was torture. Leather straps or spikes were used to hang a condemned man on a pole. Like a helpless animal tangled in a barbed wire fence, the victim could survive for days with excruciating pain. Death usually came by suffocation when, hanging by his hands, the victim lost the strength to draw another breath. […]
What if we can’t forgive ourselves for the sins that haunt us? What if in the middle of beating ourselves up for the hundredth time, we suddenly become aware of an angry voice and then a loud slapping noise? Startled we stop and listen. Now, we hear several voices. Then we hear our name and […]
What if we can’t forgive ourselves? Is that the worst thing that could happen to us? Or would it be far worse for us to have no lingering sadness for the foolish things we have done? Could that be one reason the Bible does not tell us to forgive ourselves? Instead, the Apostle Paul tells […]
When God forgives our sins, does he really forget what we have done? Or, as some translations indicate, is it probably more accurate to say that, when he forgives us, he does not remember those sins against us (Psalm 79:8)? I’m raising the question because I ended an earlier post saying that forgiveness, as described […]
Why won’t some of us stop punishing ourselves for the wrongs we’ve done? I know the question. Long after I’ve asked God’s forgiveness, I have silently cursed myself for doing things that embarrassed me and hurt others.There was a time, though, that I wouldn’t talk this way. I assumed that forgiving me was God’s prerogative […]
As we think together about how hard it can be to forgive ourselves, I took a chance to ask some co-workers, some of whom just happen to be counselors, why they think so many of us continue to beat ourselves up for past mistakes. I thought you might be interested in reading a summary of […]
Why do so many of us beat ourselves up for old regrets long after we believe God has forgiven us? How could it be possible for us to find it easier to believe that God has forgiven us than to quit punishing ourselves for what we’ve done? We’ve spent some time thinking about forgiving others. […]
Solomon is remembered for saying that there is a time to be born and a time to die… a time to kill and a time to heal… a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecc. 3:1-8). But could he also have said there is a time to forgive, and a time to refrain […]
Forgiving those who harm us is only one way to soften our bitterness and anger. Sometimes there are better ways. My reason for emphasizing this is that sometimes it is important to lovingly withhold forgiveness from those who have not yet recognized their wrong. But before going into that in more detail, let me give […]
Is unconditional forgiveness toward those who have harmed us the best way to get the anger out of our stomach? Does forgiving those who have not had a change of heart reflect well on Christ, show his love, and enable us to forgive others as God has forgiven us? These are some of the questions […]
Is there one discovery about the Bible that can help us respond to the challenge of dangerous religious groups, encourage the growth of young believers, and throw light on our personal blind sides? Over the years I’ve come to believe that the one insight that speaks to all of these areas is that: All truth […]
If I had one chance to give one insight that has helped me better understand the Bible, I think I know what it would be. I would not emphasize that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Nor would I use my one opportunity to emphasize the importance of studying grammar, or the differences […]
Something has gone wrong with forgiveness. As wrong and as self-destructive as a bitter, vengeful spirit is, isn’t there something missing when we say, I need to forgive to get the anger out of my own stomach? Is it really Christ-like to say that we need to unconditionally forgive others so that we can get […]
“I can’t forget what happened. I don’t trust you anymore, and I don’t think I could ever trust you again.” Those words are like a trump card. Whoever uses them wins the hand (assuring mutual defeat) by acknowledging a loss of hope. It doesn’t matter what cards the other player is holding. Mutual trust is […]
In many counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 No pastor, troubled individual, or family should have to bear alone the overload of mental illness. I recently got an e-mail that captures the kind of problems that are so often misunderstood. This person wrote, “Raised in a strict Christian home, my first bout with depression in […]
Got just a minute? Look around! As you’ll see, there’s a lot to consider together. If you’re short on time now, please bookmark this page and come back when you have more time. I’d love to have a chance to think together about things like: Unanswered Prayer » Father issues » Abuse » Political Correctness […]
How can anyone determine whether mental and emotional problems are rooted in spiritual or physical causes? In many counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 When pastors are called upon in such crises, they can feel overwhelmed. Many realize their limitations, but feel compelled by their congregations or other leaders to act as if the Bible, […]
I appreciate those who are responding to my last post with their own honest questions about, or experience with, mental health issues. Before continuing with the second of three parts on this subject, I want to give you some of the backstory to my own interest. In a December, 06 article I wrote, “Soon after […]
I’d like to have a conversation with you about the way followers of Christ relate to issues of mental health. Few issues create more burdens for countless individuals and families. Few problems cause more misunderstanding, or isolation than emotional and mental problems that do not go away in the face of faith and prayer… Long […]
If this is your first time to the blog, Welcome! Got just a minute? Look a around! As you’ll see, there’s a lot to consider together. If you’re short on time now, please bookmark this page and come back when you have more time. I’d love to have a chance to think together about things […]
In my Bible Ah-Ha! #2 post, I talked about how thinking of the necessary, probable, possible, improbable, and impossible implications of Scripture can help us think through application of Scripture. Since someone asked for examples, here are a couple to consider: Example #1 The first is from Haddon Robinson, from whom I learned this. In […]
OK, here’s another one of those ah-ha! thoughts that I think has helped me understand the Bible. Exodus Before Genesis It used to bother me when I heard people say that the story of the Bible doesn’t try to prove the existence of a Creator. It just assumes his existence when it starts, “In the […]
We’re trying something. For a couple of days and then once in a while, I’m going to try to describe one of those ah-ha! moments of insight that I think has helped me better understand the Bible. My hope is that you will share with us one of your own discoveries as well. Degrees of […]
Let’s try something. For a couple of days, and then once in awhile, I’m going to try to describe one of those ah-ha moments of insight that I think has helped me better understand the Bible. My hope is that you will respond by sharing with us one or more of your own discoveries as […]
I’ve been watching the way some of us use the phrase politically correct to characterize the other side in an issue of public debate. As I understand it, many of us use the term PC to refer to the social pressure we feel to accept and respect groups that we think should be opposed or […]
Hate crimes have a long history. Followers of Christ living under the Caesars were victims of torture and death. So were Jews under the Third Reich, Native Americans in the land of their birth, and Africans who were kidnapped, sold into slavery, used, bred, and traded like domestic animals. By nature, hate crimes are contrary […]
Long ago, Solomon wrote, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Could this ancient proverb offer insight not only for hurting people but also for the family members and pastors who are called upon to help them? Overwhelming problems So many of us […]
