Depression is a growing concern. It plagues young people as adults. And Christians are certainly not immune. For most people, depression can be traced to some difficult circumstances. But some suffer chronically and with no discernible cause (aka clinical depression). Every part of us has been affected by the presence of sin in the world. And many … [Read more...]
Growing Up
Babies are really cute, but they are a lot of work. They need to have everything done for them. They need to be fed, changed, carried, comforted, and protected. They can’t do anything for themselves. One of the marks of maturity is when children begin to take care of themselves. They start to feed themselves, dress themselves, tie their own shoes … [Read more...]
An Uncomfortable Look in the Mirror
I am currently reading The Death of the Grown-Up by syndicated columnist Diana West. While not written from a Christian perspective, she laments the notable lack of maturity in Western civilization. Children used to move quickly into adulthood but are now lingering in adolescence. The MacArthur Foundation funded a major research project arguing … [Read more...]
Work the Plan!
I am often in a position to counsel people as they work through suffering, discouragement and confusion. One of things that I will often ask them is if they are utilizing the means of grace. God can convey his grace in any way he chooses. But he has established certain means through which he generally pours out his grace. Some of those means of … [Read more...]
Morning Devotions
I remember being challenged with the importance of daily devotions as a high school student. The thought of getting up early to read and pray was a hard sell at the time. My friends and I conveniently agreed that the important thing was that we did our devotions – not when we did our devotions. And yet Jesus’ example often troubled me. He would … [Read more...]