Posts from 2016 (Page 2)
Why Does the Universe Look So Old?
“When it comes to the age of the universe, Christians find themselves in a bit of a conundrum. At least, those Christians do who hold to a traditional interpretation of the first two chapters of Genesis—an interpretation that leads them to believe the universe is something less than the billions of years indicated by contemporary understandings of the scientific data. Those, like me, who hold to a six-day understanding of creation have to face this question: Why does the universe…
Let’s Get Serious about the Sacred Mystery of Sleep
“God created us not only with a need for sleep, but with an incredible capacity for it—most of us need to spend at least one-third of our life in sleep. Is all this sleep really a waste? a luxury we can’t afford? a haven for the lazy? Or is it an expression of our humanity, an act of submission to God, a celebration of his creation? Might it be valuable in its own right?” Read more…
Looking for Contentment? It’s Not What You Think
Sometimes I create in my mind a misguided picture of contentment. I imagine a fairly carefree disposition of someone who has her life in balance. She’s not overworked or bothered by much. She knows just the right thing to say, and her relationships are full of encouragement, mutual respect, and long conversations at cozy coffee shops. When tough times come, she’s tougher—always able to handle difficulties with a gracious spirit. This is not my life. Fears arise, trying circumstances burden,…
Some Things That Have Helped Me In My Struggle With Anxiety
“Recently I wrote “Some Things You Should Know About Christians Who Struggle With Anxiety”… Among the many responses it got was a frequent call for a follow-up article in which I could talk about some things that I’ve found helpful in my battle with anxiety and depression. Well, good news. Seven years of dealing with these disorders—coupled with an incorrigible tendency to analyze and overthink everything—have yielded a number of them. So then, here are a few. I hope they…
Real Men Love Strong Women
“Strong women are as vital as strong men to God’s purpose in the church. Why?” Read more…
Emotions are a Language
“Think of emotions as a language. They say something—something very important—and part of our job is to figure out what they are saying. Sometimes the interpretation is easy. A friend says, “I feel so afraid.” She is saying that a threat looms to something that is important to her. Got it. We hear her correctly. Now there is much we can do. We want to know more about the real or perceived threat, and we want to know how to…
Some Things You Should Know About Christians Who Struggle With Anxiety
“For 7 years I have lived with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Social Anxiety. It has completely changed my life. I have written and drawn about these things before and the response has proven to me that there are tons of Christians who relate to my story. This probably includes people you know. I also know that many are hesitant to tell others about their struggles. So for them, based on my experience, I compiled a little list of…
Read the Bible as Your Spiritual Food
“The Bible is given by God to believers for their good and for their edification. The Scriptures reveal God, expose sin, highlight Christ, and demand repentance and faith. So how can believers read the Bible and profit from it? How can children of God read God’s Word as spiritual food and nourishment for the soul?” Read more…
Should Christians Save for Retirement?
It’s easy to take superannuation for granted (unless we’re self-employed!) and its a subject that’s often in the news at the moment – are we saving enough, how much do the incentives cost, how much is too little? But it’s easy to skip over a more important question: Should Christians save for retirement? In our article of the week this week, Randy Alcorn carefully walks us through some Biblical perspectives and helps us see how it’s a challenging issue to reflect on!…
How We Do Family Devotions
“I think family devotions is like a lot of things in the Christian life: We have made it bigger than it needs to be, and therefore live with a sense of failure, a sense that we are not measuring up. Through many years of success and failure Aileen and I have realised that there is no good way to measure the success of family devotions except by this: Did we do it?” Read more…