Faith/Spiritual
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has on one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:12-13
What is love?
Theologians, musicians, writers, and even Hollywood directors, have attempted to define, explain, and quantify love throughout history. But there has yet to be a consensus reached so far.
When it comes down to it, however, love is a choice.
A person can choose to act lovingly toward others or selfishly toward them. There is no mistaking that the foundation of genuine love is not feelings that change from day to day, from week to week, and sometimes even from moment to moment. There is no doubt that true love requires effort because it is a decision—one must be willing to do their part to build a lasting relationship. (more…)
Faith/Spiritual
Have a loved one you want to pray for but don’t know how to pray? Try personalized prayers using Scripture—they are a powerful way to petition God for a loved one. He is the one who can soften their heart and change their life.
Here are 5 Scriptural ways to pray for a loved one:
1. Psalm 44:20-21—God knows our hearts.
“If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods, God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart, for he knows the secrets of every heart.”
Pray: God, You know _______’s heart. You know their secrets and the hidden things that I will never know. Father, guide _______ in the secret places of their heart. Shine (more…)
Faith/Spiritual
- Confess any shortcomings.
Confession means “to agree with” God what is true about one’s condition. One must stop blaming others and excusing themselves. When an individual asks God for forgiveness, “He is faithful and just to forgive” them (1 John 1:9, NLT). Only when someone confesses that they are stuck will they begin to get unstuck and start to grow in their faith.
- Admit any failures.
No one can save themselves. One must come to the end of themselves, admit their failures, and say, “God, I’ve failed in my attempts to change and to get better.” But if someone tries to overcome their problems by willpower alone, they will fail. Instead of trying harder, they must admit they are weak, and then they’ll find strength in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says Christ’s “power works best in weakness.”
- Get help from God. (more…)
Faith/Spiritual
Ever turn to a toxic habit to escape? Steve Arterburn describes it this way, “Addiction is a radical commitment to escape reality.” In many ways, addiction is like chasing after the wind—one can feel the wind but never hold it.
Addiction always begins as an experiment. Someone starts by trying to taste life’s pleasures and find fun and excitement to escape their pain. They attempt to find fulfillment by using drugs, alcohol, overeating, shopping, porn, working excessively, or something else.
Though they find temporary relief from the pain by using what they believe they can control, the pain returns, and it’s much worse than before. (more…)
Faith/Spiritual
“A physical wound must be cleaned and medicated rather than ignored.
Emotional wounds also need attention. They don’t simply just fade away.” – Steve Arterburn
Many children are taught to stuff their emotions down. They’re often told to stop crying. And if they do reveal their feelings, anger is the emotion that surfaces, usually in the form of a big tantrum. This might’ve worked as a child—it doesn’t work as an adult. Yet, some adults still haven’t learned to deal with the wounds causing their outbursts.
If someone doesn’t repair the damage done to them, they repeat it. For example, parenting will trigger unprocessed emotions from childhood. Just ask any parent! Adulting, many times, displays the unhealed wounds of the past, even if someone isn’t a parent. Recognizing there is healing to be done is the first step to a better life. (more…)
Faith/Spiritual
Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:32
What’s one of the hardest words in the Bible to hear? Forgiveness.
It’s painful for most people because it involves releasing someone who has hurt them. However, when someone holds onto their hurts, it is a burden that becomes very heavy. But when people learn to forgive themselves and others, it lightens their load.
Jesus came to provide a way to receive forgiveness for sins. One can be free from the weight of their regrets and mistakes, and yet, they can still struggle with the idea of extending that same release to others. They either want justice or revenge. And the offender should understand the pain they caused those they’ve hurt. (more…)
