Our cultural ambition is to be known. Continue reading “The Goodness Of Obscurity”
Category: S P I R I T U A L
Theology As Taught Through Dachshund Injuries
I don’t write about him often, but last summer I adopted a stray, senior mini dachshund. The little guy lights up my life.
Unfortunately, dachshunds are extremely susceptible to back injuries, and Watson is not an exception. A couple of weeks ago the inevitable took place and the days since have been filled with crate rest, pain killers, and a little dog frustrated at not being able to run around like he wants.
And, because I think God delights in teaching me lessons through animals (over and over and over again), He’s taught me through this.
I’ve caught myself telling Watson, “It’s for your own good,” over and over and over again. It’s for your own good. It’s for YOUR own GOOD.
He hates the crate rest, but it’ll help him heal.
He hates being carried around and kept from running, but it’ll also help him heal.
He hates being on a diet, but it’ll help him lose more weight so his back isn’t under as much stress.
And, I feel like the way Watson reacts to my care for him is exactly how I react to God’s care for me.
I kick and scream about the discipline and the stretching and the growth, and God just reminds me He’s working for my good. I can look back over my shoulder and see the good, but the good certainly doesn’t FEEL that way in the moment.
Hebrews 12 speaks to this:
“‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? …For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (vs. 5-7, 11)”
Everything I do is for Watson’s good. I never do anything to purposefully make him sad or to harm him. If I, a mere human being caring for a little animal, can so carefully work for his good, how much more our heavenly Father, the Creator of all things? He works on our behalf, even when it doesn’t feel like good.
God’s Hands Are Stronger Than My Legs
The funny thing about determination is how quickly it runs out. Continue reading “God’s Hands Are Stronger Than My Legs”
How To Be An Encouragement To Politically Involved Christians
“I work in politics,” I answered.
You could have heard a pin drop.
And then, they changed the topic. Continue reading “How To Be An Encouragement To Politically Involved Christians”
Never Underestimate The Spiritual Importance Of A Nap
There is a passage of Scripture that makes the rounds on social media, one that I really love. It tells a story that took place during the prophet Elijah’s flight from the reach of Ahab and Jezebel: Continue reading “Never Underestimate The Spiritual Importance Of A Nap”
Why The Yoke Of Jesus Is A Very Good Thing
Are you super up-to-date on the purposes of old fashioned farming equipment? Apparently, I’m not. Continue reading “Why The Yoke Of Jesus Is A Very Good Thing”
Our God Has Kept His Covenants From The Start
David Mathis recently wrote for Desiring God,
“When we lose our wonder, we are prone to wander. The better we know the Old Testament, the more we will stand in awe of Jesus.”
Continue reading “Our God Has Kept His Covenants From The Start”
God Knows Even When They Don’t
I don’t like being misunderstood or mischaracterized.
I don’t like being given labels that don’t belong to me.
I don’t like wrong assumptions about who I am.
And, when these things occur, I definitely don’t like it when I can’t correct them.
Yet, all of the above are increasingly occurring in my life. Continue reading “God Knows Even When They Don’t”
To Hell With The Hustle: What Weary Souls Need To Hear
As culture screams at us to work harder, sleep less, and accomplish more, Jefferson Bethke has a very simple response: “To hell with this.”
He’s not being flippant. He means it so literally that he wrote a book about it: To Hell With The Hustle: Reclaiming Your Life in an Overworked, Overspent, and Overconnected World. Continue reading “To Hell With The Hustle: What Weary Souls Need To Hear”
Humanity Needs Jesus’ Glory, Not Yours
George Whitefield, for all his faults and sins, was a man who understood the necessity of a glorified Jesus for humanity. He once proclaimed:
“Let my name be forgotten, let me be trodden under the feet of all men, if Jesus may thereby be glorified.” Continue reading “Humanity Needs Jesus’ Glory, Not Yours”
