Why does God allow temptation? Could it be you're tempted because this is what God wants for you? Or could it be he has something much better for you?
Rats and Beauty
We all have places in our lives we know aren’t beautiful, including at least a few places that are just down right ugly. When we come face to face with one of these parts, we have a choice in how we respond. Many respond by following a logic like this: If you see a rat in your house, you get out a broom and take a whack at it. (Or something, anything, to get rid of it, and fast.) So you see...
Interpreting Shapes
Before all time, God hovered over the abyss, brooding. We don’t know for how long. In a world of time, it may have been eons. Like an artist before a blank canvas, with eyes closed, breathing deeply, imagining every detail before even dipping his brush. And then he begins. For five and a half days, God’s creation takes shape. Then, day six, the creation of man and woman. There are two ways to...
Honoring the Ache
Every age has its own set of unquestioned presuppositions. Here’s one in our day: Getting what you want quickly is better than having to wait.This is why advertisers boast of faster internet, quicker results, shorter lines, easier access, top speeds, and fewer commercials. Going without what you want produces an ache. When you get what you want, the ache goes away. This is why we pay a high...
A Simple Practice for Those in Need of Mercy
Sometimes those of us who need God’s mercy most impede its flow. So instead of an outpour, we receive just a few drops. This is sad, but sadder still is when we then believe a trickle of mercy is all God wants to give us. Years ago, after telling a spiritual mentor about how I’d viewed pornography again, he recommended we go to God together so I could confess my sin directly to Him...
Now What?
Tuesday, Maryland and Maine became the first two states in the U.S. to legalize homosexual marriage by a vote of the people. I’m among the 48% of Marylanders who voted against same-sex marriage, and today I’m grieving. Rightly so. If you feel the same sadness, you might be tempted, as many are right now, to focus on what went wrong, to blame, to complain. There’s a better response. Let the eyes...