Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
I’ve sinned against you—you alone. I’ve committed evil in your sight…Yes, I was born in guilt, in sin, from the moment my mother conceived me. — Psalm 51:4-5 These are David’s words after he admitted his guilt in his affair with Bathsheba, which entailed having her husband Uriah murdered. Pretty bad, sinful stuff. And he …
But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around his neck, kissed him, and they wept. — Genesis 33:4 Know anyone named Esau? I don’t. But there are a lot of Jacobs around. This is totally unfair. One of the most dysfunctional families in the Bible is that of parents Isaac/Rebekah and sons Esau/Jacob. …
Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Should I forgive as many as seven times?” Jesus said, “Not just seven times, but rather as many as seventy-seven times. — Matthew 18:21-22 If Hollywood followed Jesus’ teachings about forgiveness and reconciliation, we’d have a …
But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 As I reflect on my life, I don’t always like what I see. Mistakes made in choices, conversations, relationships, actions. I look back and ask, “What was I thinking?” I hadn’t awakened one morning and said, “Let’s see how I …
Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you, just as we also forgive those who have wronged us. – Matthew 6:12 Father Henri Nouwen wrote, “Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly.” (From his You Are the Beloved) How do we love poorly? …