A Burden Shared
An estimated 25 million people in the United States are providing care for chronically ill relatives or friends. Those who shoulder the burden of caregiving know that it often feels like an impossible task.
Get Sure!
Church had been a major part of Les Richards' life from his early childhood. As an adult he taught Sunday school. Anyone looking at this friendly, clean-living churchgoer would have labeled Les a Christian in a heartbeat.
The Fallacy
Once we resolve to obey God completely, it's easy to assume that life will go more smoothly. When it does, we think this proves that we're in God's will. If we run into obstacles, however, we're apt to conclude that both we and what we're doing are out of God's will. Rather than question our measuring stick, we question our dedication, and sometimes even God.
Winners Of Nothing
I've often thought how exciting it would be to win a shopping spree in a grocery store. In such a contest the prizewinner is given a few minutes to accumulate as much merchandise as possible. When the time is up, the items are sorted and the prices are totaled. But it's all free!
Just Keep Pounding
Author and pastor John Maxwell writes of a seminarian who was overwhelmed by his workload. The volumes to read, the research papers to write, the Greek words to learn—it seemed impossible! His despair was obvious to his classmates.
Cheerful Givers
A pastor wanted to see if a farmer in his congregation was willing to support the Lord's work. So one day he challenged him with some direct questions. "If you had two farms," he asked, "would you be willing to give one to God?" "Why, certainly!" replied the man. "I only wish I were in a position to do so."
What Good Is Evil?
In Jesus' parable about the prodigal son, the son asked for his inheritance in advance and left home (Lk. 15:11-32). How would you feel if you were that father? Would you have let your son have his own way?
Our Prayer Partner
Have you ever been speechless before God? Perhaps you know the frustration of being utterly unable to find the right words to pray.
Housekeeping Of The Heart
As a young homemaker, I enjoyed cleaning our house from top to bottom. The trouble was, it never stayed clean for long. Eventually I discovered that if I kept our house reasonably tidy, it appeared to be clean even when it wasn't. Gradually I concentrated more on the appearance of a clean house and neglected thorough cleaning. This compromise was not only convenient, it was convincing. Sometimes even I was fooled, until one sunny day when my clean-looking house was revealed for what it was—dusty and dirty!
