“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." They were strong, kind words that cut through the chaos of my turbulent mind and whispered grace and peace and hope to my weary soul when I really needed them.... continue reading
My instinct is to think that in order to serve God and his people well, I need to bring something to the table. The world will tell us that what we need to do is just to realise how brilliant we really are (or maybe you’re already there—you do think you bring a lot to God’s table). But the Bible says that the answer to feeling too weak or unable to serve is not to try to feel strong...... continue reading
Have you ever been led to feel as though your pain is just a tool to God? Perhaps others have praised the fruit of any difficult times you have experienced, but your battle-scars are left unacknowledged and untended in the light of the good they have brought about. Maybe, you think, you shouldn’t mind them as much as you do. ... continue reading
The first step in cultivating wise speech is by prayer. We also know that the best way of becoming wise is to saturate ourselves in God’s word. However, some practical tips can also help. What about in our moment-by-moment interactions? How can we train ourselves to say the right thing when difficult conversations take us by surprise? Or when we disagree with something a friend or co-worker says? ... continue reading
We’ve all known people who seemed to face extraordinary adversity. For many, one catastrophic event marks their life for many years. Others experience difficult circumstances in waves. Nothing seems to work out for them. They nearly always end up disappointed, and those around them are perplexed as to why it’s happening... continue reading
I believe that God still arranges encounters with us. I believe this from my own experience, but more importantly for historical reasons. The Bible is filled with examples of God encountering men and women in unusual places and revealing Himself in powerful ways. God spoke to people in history in unmistakable ways. He speaks to us in the present day through the Scriptures and His Holy Spirit. He answers prayers and meets needs. He still speaks.... continue reading
Theologian and author Rebecca McLaughlin says, “An alone person in our gatherings is an emergency.” She and her husband have made a rule for themselves that anytime they see someone alone at their worship services, they must stop what they’re doing and go chat with or sit next to that person.... continue reading
As Christians, it can be tempting to self-isolate in our mental-health struggles. We sometimes feel that we should have it all together so we can better serve our church family. But while it is important to cling to our joy in the Lord, it’s equally important to recognize and seek help in our struggles as we do so. ... continue reading
Most of the times I have read Habakkuk, I have moved quickly past verse 5 to the rest of the book. But verse 5 actually contains wisdom for us about how to live through moments of God’s silence. It is, after all, the exhortation that God himself gives to a man who has been living with that experience for some time.... continue reading
One morning during corporate worship, I leaned toward one of the little girls in our church, Summer, who was trying to read the lyrics and sing along, and asked her, “Do you like church?” She replied, “Not really, but I like the singing.” I appreciated her honesty! ... continue reading