A Better Way to Measure
Do you ever catch yourself sizing up your life—wondering if you measure up to others, or even to your own expectations?
We all do this. We compare ourselves to people, timelines, and unspoken standards. And honestly, measuring isn’t wrong in itself. It can help us grow. But if we’re using bent or broken rulers, the results will always be off.
Scripture is often called the “Canon”—the true rule of faith. It gives us a trustworthy way to understand what really matters. But even then, we can take biblical ideas and twist them into something that misses the heart of the Kingdom.
The disciples did this more than once. In Matthew 18, they were busy ranking themselves, trying to figure out who was the greatest. Jesus interrupted their scorekeeping with a startling correction: “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
He wasn’t talking about childishness. He was inviting them into humility, openness, and the simple clari...
Are You Living In The "Zone"?
We are all uniquely wired. Some are laid back and struggle to motivate themselves to take action. Others are so tightly wound they can barely sit still. Our wiring determines our natural firing. So, we must pay attention to God’s creative work in our lives, learn about ourselves, and learn how to present and submit ourselves to the lordship of Jesus. When we learn to live in accord with His design, we will be fulfilled. He will be most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. (John Piper, Desiring God)
Many believers are tempted to over-strive in their faith. They want to do "it" better. They want to succeed in living "The Christian Life." They read the Scriptures and try to incorporate the lessons and principles into their lives. They strive to grow. However, such people can sometimes be difficult to be around. They can make others feel like they too must try harder in their faith—their striving makes others strive and feel worn out. Implementing the principles of faith wit...
Are You Grasping or Aligning?
Sometimes it may feels like we are not getting anywhere. We may be working hard, being faithful and even bearing more weight than those around us. Yet, maybe few seem to notice our work, our abilities or our investment. At times like this, we start to wonder about the future – whether we will ever be seen or heard for who we really are. We may ask what we need to do to get noticed, appreciated and/or rewarded.
Strangely, we find James and John – two of Jesus’s closest followers – in a similar situation (Mark 10:35-45). They, quite possibly with the input/influence of their mother (Matthew 20:20-28), decided they wanted to take their future into their own hands. They flat out asked Jesus to secure places of prominence for them in His Coming Kingdom. This seemed like a brazen request to the other disciples, though one that may have been in their hearts, too.
Jesus’s response included an interesting idea. He said that these places of prominence “belong to those for whom they have been...
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