Spiritual Life

Pride is a master sin, but it has a hidden twin — self-will.

God doesn’t reserve His presence only for good moments; God is always near—in your valleys and on your mountain tops.

Anger is our passionate response to a life circumstance, event, or condition. The feeling is usually undue and sinful, but can be positive and helpful. Anger is sinful and undue anytime ill-will or revenge is desired. This determination is based on the fruits of the Spirit indwelling the believer.

Sadly, it is our love of evil, though cleverly masked, that prevents the sanctification process from proceeding. Indeed, our calling as believers, which is to be transformed into the image of Christ, continues to be shipwrecked until this is remedied.

Our critical hearts and minds must first be renewed to think like Christ, so our tongues don’t spew forth venom. If you’re like me and fear that you come across as critical at times, but don’t want to, here are seven ways to tame a critical spirit.

Growing up, I was always obsessed with my dad’s work as a carpenter. Many of his stories and life lessons were wood-related or shop-themed; and from his wisdom and example, I learned how to not only become a great craftsman but also a man of God.

If you want to skip the card-buying crowd this year, and long for ways to express gratitude to the father figures in your life, you might find it helpful to learn from the lives of biblical men. Here are four courageous men who set an example of faithful, godly fatherhood. May they inspire your own note to your father this year.

We throw away things that are past their usefulness. But why don’t we throw away things in our past that hinder us? For many, allowing the past to stay in the past is difficult. Hurtful memories or bad choices affect present behaviors. Worst of all, we allow the past to define us. Here are 10 biblical truths about who you really are—forgiven, loved, and redeemed.

While my dad never will be famous, his words — and more importantly, his actions — taught me a great deal. From partnering to problem-solving and more, here are nine important things I learned from my dad.

Stay strong in your faith in Christ. Know what you believe, why you believe it, and how to effectively present that truth to others in gentleness and respect.

Healthy conflict clears up misunderstandings and helps address negative feelings in a positive way. Unfortunately, many go through life trying to avoid conflict, while others may create conflict. Neither response is healthy or beneficial in our relationships. Pray together, or send up a silent prayer, before you go through these seven steps to help you resolve conflicts biblically.

Our Triune God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one. He reigns over all, sees all, hears all, and compassionately, faithfully,and righteously loves all.

Abuse is cloaked in many forms, and each type inflicts wounds—physically, internally, or both. Both can successfully heal if given the proper treatment, but both will also leave a permanent scar— some faint and not easily noticed, and others disfiguring and unforgettable.

Addiction can look like the woman who has lost her grip on shopping, the patient who is overmedicating with prescription drugs, or my personal addiction: overeating. Anything we do in excess is addiction, and no one should judge another's struggle. Admit your addiction, seek help, and forgive yourself on the journey to healing.

Cognizant that it is the very nature of our soul to need, we must become intentional about meeting its needs. The care of our soul does require our time and attention, but all of our soul’s needs are met in God.

We are all called to a unique purpose in life, but that purpose doesn’t always reveal itself early on. Often it takes considerable personal digging. But what happens when you’re not allowed to dig and you are handed everything? Advantages in life come in many shapes and sizes, from lucky breaks to wealthy relatives, and seem to give us a leg up. However, all those advantages may lead to three hefty disadvantages.

As believers, we can look to the return of Christ with great expectation and anticipation. But a sense of peace isn’t only a future promise. Jesus told his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). He didn’t say, “My peace I will give to you.” He’s promising peace here and now.

Sometimes, Christians are disliked through no fault of their own. Other times, we needlessly bring it upon ourselves. It takes wisdom and spiritual maturity to know when we’re being hated for the right reasons.

God's love is the very best antidote to counterfeit guilt. When you’re soaking in God’s love, you can break up with false expectations or negative judgments on your behavior. Your eyes are too busy focusing on the beauty of Christ and His unchanging love for you.

Christians who wrestle with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression often feel the need to hide these struggles from their brothers and sisters. Perhaps they encountered a member of their church who told them anxiety came from a lack of faith and they needed to just believe more. Or maybe they met with another well-meaning Christian who told them depression “is all in your head” and they needed to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and keep going.