How do you feel when inconsiderate people say unkind things about you? If you’re like me, it stings a bit. It’s exceptional for a person to shrug off uncharitable comments completely. In these unsavory moments, sometimes a person will throw up Matthew 7:1—Judge not, that… Continue Reading …
Expressing anger through silence is an all-too-common communication conflict in too many relationships. The silent partner pretends the other person does not exist by ignoring them. Silent treatment sounds horrible enough, but if you place it within James’s framework for anger, what we’re talking about… Continue Reading …
Sinful anger is regularly minimized, even among Christians—or especially among Christians. We often reclassify anger to lesser-sounding offenses—to better-sounding sin categories. Typically, when I talk to people about being angry, the response is usually along the lines of, “Oh no, I’m not an angry person.… Continue Reading …
Rick, what are your thoughts on Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy as far as what you tell your kids? Do you say these characters are real or not? Is this harmless fun, or is there a problem with deception going on here?… Continue Reading …
What comes out of your mouth when you do not get your way reveals your theology of suffering and theology of God, which shows your Christian maturity. Jesus was correct when He said that what comes out of our mouths explains what is happening in… Continue Reading …
There is a problem trusting God when His ways seem foolish, and we have a well-worn habit of getting what we want through our self-reliant means. Of course, when we choose human wisdom and strength over God’s, it will have a debilitating effect on our… Continue Reading …
Most relationships begin with a lot of talking and not so many frustrations. As the communicators continue in their relationship, complexity increases. Sometimes one of the partners becomes silent. He becomes quiet while the other partner is left to speculate on what happened. In this… Continue Reading …
Have you been on the receiving end of gossip? How did you respond? What did your reaction reveal about your walk with the Lord? One of the most challenging relational opportunities is when someone gossips about you. When it happens, there are several options for… Continue Reading …
Every individual is part of the same human family, made by one Being, and connected to one another because of His creative work. The linkage that binds us together came from God’s mind and flowed through His creative hands—anthropomorphically speaking—in Genesis 1:27. Each person—regardless of… Continue Reading …
Our pastor said, and I paraphrase, “Toxic people are magnets who draw shards of truth and untruth into their orbit to build an image of their making to accomplish their purposes. Their hearts are fictional factories. If you permit them to do so, they will… Continue Reading …