We are a success-saturated society. The telltale signs are everywhere. Each year dozens of books and magazines, scores of audio and video, and hundreds of seminars offer ideas, motivation, techniques, and promises of prosperity. Curiously, however, few ever address what it is that most folks want (but seldom find) in their pursuit of success: contentment, […]
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Contentment
Laurence J. Peter and I are close friends. No, actually, we’ve never met, but we’ve visited together numerous times. We’ve never even shaken hands, but we’ve been in agreement ever since we crossed paths. Although I’ve never laid eyes on him, I’ve smiled at his comments and nodded at his conclusions . . . amazed […]
Read MoreHow Does the Death of Jesus Save Me?
Question: I’ve been told that Jesus died for my sins. What does that mean exactly? How could the death of Jesus help me get to heaven? What does the death of Christ save me from? Answer: One way to understand the meaning of the death of Jesus is to imagine a courtroom scene in which […]
Read MoreHope Beyond Failure
Rarely will one of God’s heroes show up in the Scriptures having lived a life free of failure. Take Peter, for example. As soon as you read the name, you remember his story. Peter experienced the extreme highs and lows of life—from days spent in blessed fellowship with Christ . . . to the heart-wrenching […]
Read MoreGetting Past Guilt: Overcoming Barriers to Feeling Forgiven
Puritan minister Richard Baxter warned about the emotional toll of carrying unnecessary guilt: “That sorrow, even for sin, may be overmuch. That overmuch sorrow swalloweth one up.”1 In his wonderful old English, Reverend Baxter captured the feelings of people who have not experienced forgiveness. Grief over past sins plunges them into a depth of sorrow. […]
Read MoreA Balanced View of Shame
“You should be ashamed of yourself!” No doubt many of us as kids heard remarks like that from our mom or dad. Maybe we had lied, played with matches, or been stopped for speeding in our mom’s car. Whatever the infraction, we all implicitly knew (and rightly so) that we should feel bad about the […]
Read MoreBurning Ourselves: The Tongue’s Hidden Hurt
“Remember,” Smokey the Bear warned millions of television viewers, “only YOU can prevent forest fires.” But what if Smokey had faced the inferno we carry around with us daily—in our mouths? Maybe his warning wouldn’t have centered on misused matches but on combustible conversations. In fact, his public-service announcement may have sounded a bit like […]
Read MoreHow Can I Manage My Anger?
Question: I’ve been struggling with anger lately. I feel like a smoldering volcano ready to explode at any moment. When I erupt, I say the cruelest things, and then I feel so guilty afterward. I don’t know what’s causing me to be so grouchy, but this seething anger is hurting the people I care about. […]
Read MoreBattle of the Will
What battles are you fighting today? I’m not referring to those we read or hear about in the news. I mean the wars that rage inside you—which ones are you fighting today? Here are some of mine: holding on to resentment, allowing frustration to overwhelm me, wishing for something easier, wondering why trials continue, and […]
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