Tag: Life

Christian Living

A Case for Asking Other Christians for Advice

Chris

Life is complicated. The world swirls around us in what can feel like ever-increasing chaos. There are pressures put on us by others: work, spouse, children, society, church. And there are pressures we put on ourselves: professional aspirations, finance goals, character development, comparison with others.

Life is also hard. It takes effort, investment, perspiration. If we allow life to “just happen” to us, we get tossed by a current that is unrelenting and unforgiving. “Along for the ride” is a hazardous approach to life, for the highs and lows will feel like an extreme roller coaster, and the scars will be worse than taking a boogie board through white water rapids.

Thankfully, life is not meant to be a solo endeavor. We are designed for community. This is much more than the presence of others, though. It includes the participation of others. Asking others to help us evaluate the complications and hardships of life is even a default setting for us; we often seek the input of others. And when we are disciples of Jesus, we should prioritize fellow believers as a source for godly input.

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Christian Living, Church Life

The Lesson a String of Lights Teaches about the Church

Chris

When do you start putting up Christmas decorations? Some people get started in October, others wait until the November holidays have passed, and some like to do it in the final days before Christmas.

Getting ready for Christmas means in northern North America means Christmas lights. The winter season means even our waking hours are dark more than see the sun. It is helpful to have Christmas lights brighten our homes and countenance.

One of our first steps is often to check the lights to make sure they work. At least, it helps to make it an earlier part of the process. It is important that the majority of the light bulbs are bright and clear. If only one or a few lights are working we will probably replace it.

A strand of lights can remind us of an important truth about the Church, both local assemblies and the greater Body of Christ.

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Christian Living

Christians Need to Stop Using these Words

Chris

Once upon a time, in an creative writing or English class, you probably learned about the eight parts of speech. These are the building blocks of how we communicate, both verbally and in writing.

One of these parts of speech has garnished a lot of attention in the past few years, discussing the use of pronouns. This post is not about that topic. There is actually a much more dangerous class of wording we should consider using less and less.

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Christian Living

5 Reasons We Make Bad Choices

Chris

Every day is full of decisions. Some are simple and have little effect on what happens next or what happens a year from now. Others are so important they can change the direction of our lives forever.

Bad decisions have a way of setting life on a path of difficulty and pain. When we feel the pain early into the journey we are quick to make changes to get back to safety. We change jobs, end relationships, ask forgiveness from God and others.

But how do we get started down those trails of bad decisions and the scars they leave in and on our lives? Is there a way to avoid these pitfalls on our journey?

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Faith

How Our Decision Making Processes Were Rewritten

Chris

It is a scary thing to realize you have driven on autopilot for an unknown length of time. I’m talking about starting at Point A, and you know you have to pass Points B, C, and D, before arriving at Point E. Autopilot is realizing you left Point A, saw Point B, but suddenly find yourself somewhere between Points D and E.

Yes, that has really happened to me. No, I wasn’t drinking or high. Sometimes I was tired. Other times my mind was occupied on other things and never noticed what was happening around me.

Life is busy and full of demands on our attention. There is so much we do not take the time to think about before doing or saying what the moment seems to require of us. We have preferences and tendencies programmed into our hearts and minds to keep is headed where they take us.

Where did those default settings come from? Is my life running on autopilot with those settings driving the car? Am I sure the default programming will take me where I want to go?

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Christian Living, Faith

The Fine Line: Tearing Down Government Leaders

Chris

Today marks 100 days since President Joe Biden took office. Media will be posting all types of statistics to help shape our personal opinion of the President, some of them based on the opinions of others.

It’s a tempting today for people to jump online and look for ways to fill their social media ammunition buckets. There will be posts to rave about the President and others to tear him down. Comparisons will be made to past leaders. Fact-checkers will be busy proving and disproving stats. And President Biden will be judged against the promises he made while campaigning.

Which side will Christians be on? Both. Unfortunately, we will join the masses in picking political fights, debating and arguing with each other, all with the name of Jesus attached to us.

I defined the idea of The Fine Line we walk as Christians a little while back. Here is a great example of it in action. Choosing whether or not to tear down our government leaders.

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