LOVING FRIENDS IS EASY
Philia love is spontaneous and easy. You don’t usually have to work at it. It occurs instinctively between people who have a natural bond between them. C.S. Lewis makes the point that this is why people who are friends rarely talk about their friendship as such. Lovers say much of their love for each other. […]
THE NEED FOR AFFECTIONATE LOVE
When our son Luke was three years old, he was a restless sleeper. One night he wandered into our bedroom in the small hours and grumpily I sent him back to his room. Minutes later, he was back again. This time I spanked him and carried him back to bed. He hung over my shoulder […]
CHILDREN–A HERITAGE FROM THE LORD
Children are a heritage from the Lord… (Psalm 127:3-5). Our modern antiseptic society sometimes has a rather dismissive attitude towards children, who are too often seen as an expensive, inconvenient complication to a relationship. The result? When too many children are an inconvenience, it is but a short step to having no children at all. […]
LIVE IN LOVE
The ultimate solution to the problem of fear is love. The New Testament writer who has a great deal to say about love is John, sometimes known as the ‘John the Beloved’. Among other things he says– There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with […]
LIVING TOGETHER IN GOD’S IMAGE
To live in God’s image means to live in unity and harmony with one another. When we become new creations in Christ, our ability to love is enhanced, for the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). God said, ‘Let us make man in our image…’ This is […]
HOW FAITH MAY BE STRENGTHENED
Faith may be strengthened– By praise (2 Chronicles 20:21-22; Psalm 34:1-3). Praise and thanksgiving are critical to increasing faith. They help us to focus on God and his Person and power, rather than on our own weakness and inadequacy. To dwell on the glory of our eternal God is to lift our faith in great […]
DISCOVERING GOD’S WILL
…Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2). The struggle to discover the will of God for our lives may be resolved by simply focusing on abiding in Christ. If we abide in him we are assured of answered prayer (John 15:7). We […]
UNREALISED POTENTIAL
We all have unrealised potential. The level of potential differs from person to person. We only have to look at the realm of the arts or of music to see this. No matter how hard we try, some of us will never be painters or singers or musicians–we just don’t have potential in those areas. […]
REALISING YOUR POTENTIAL
It’s okay to be you. Maybe you have heard this before. But it’s true. You are the only one of you there is. It is foolish to try to be someone else. This is not to say we shouldn’t learn from others. Often we can take skills and talents we see in others and adapt […]
PROGRESSIVE WISDOM
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not […]