I’ve been noticing a crazy idea floating around in my head and heart. It’s one of those ideas that’s gone on undetected and unchallenged, like background noise that’s so familiar you don’t notice it until someone points it out to you. It goes something like this: The better you are, the less you need others. Once you’ve earned your diploma, you stop going to classes. The stronger you are, the...
Touch
For many men where I live, a handshake is the greeting of choice, sometimes even among close friends. One of my friends rejects this norm openly. If I reach out to shake his hand, he grabs it, pulls me in and gives me a hug. I love it. No, it’s more than that. I need it. Touch isn’t optional. I love the story of the leper who fell down at Jesus’ feet asking, “Lord, if you’re willing, you can make...
Lust Makes You Fat
I talked with a man last week whose wife has started limiting sweets to only one day a week. I found what he shared to be such a compelling idea for dessert lovers, and I can’t help but think about the parallels to dealing with sexual desire.
How to Keep Relief from Ruining You
We live in a culture addicted to relief. Whether aspirin, TV, workaholism, gossip, food, or porn, we run to relief at every turn. Why not? If we can experience relief now, why would we not take it? Because it’s ruining us. Why? Because individually and collectively we’ve elevated relief over restoration. Relief is a lessening or removal of suffering. Restoration is when something is brought...
4 Lesser-Known Leadership Tips
Four tips for leaders concerned with helping those who most need their leadership.
Jesus Isn’t Scared
Anxiety is a breeding ground for sin. So when an area of sin in your life or in a loved one’s creates anxiety in you, it doesn’t help. In fact, it can make things worse. Have you experienced this? In stark and beautiful contrast, Jesus is not anxious: He talks alone with a scandalously sinful woman as though she were his next-door neighbor (John 4:5 – 26). He invites himself to lunch at a corrupt...