Here are some good reads discovered this week:
On Short-Term Missions, Part 3: More Than Good Intentions. “One of the first things that students on my teams would learn is that the African Christians with whom they were working 1) were their spiritual superiors in nearly every way, and 2) were absolutely necessary to their ministry success. We weren’t there to ‘help the poor Africans’; we were there to labor alongside them and learn a lot in the process.”
Glorifying God and Glorifying Mountains. “A friend recently asked, ‘What does it mean to glorify God?’ It is a phrase we know and a phrase we often repeat. But what does it actually mean? How do we go about it? And in what ways may we do the very opposite?”
Give Humble Counsel, HT to Challies. “As a childless, unmarried, single man with no money, I was brimming with counsel about raising children, marriage, and money. And I didn’t just have counsel, I had the conclusive word from God. I had Bible verses; therefore I had the answer. But the interesting thing about God’s word is that it can be twisted (2 Peter 3:16), taken out of context (Matt 4), and must be rightly divided (2 Tim 2:15). I was very good at reading and applying the Bible, but I lacked discernment, wisdom, and humility.”
When to Seek Justice or Bear Injustice, HT to Challies. “What do we do about injustice? Options range from setting up campaigns and waging unrelenting war against it right the way through to actively encouraging it ourselves. But what should be our response as believers? I think there is a time to pus back against injustice and there is a time to wear it. The big question is, how do we know when to do either?”
How the Bible Talks About Corporate Responsibility and Repentance, HT to Challies. “Christian obedience becomes impossible when, instead of the basics of putting off the works of the flesh and putting on the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16–24; Col. 3:5–14), we are called to account for every unpopular ism, every broken system, and every bad thing we see too much of in the culture.”
Let God Prove Himself, in this case, but trusting and obeying Him in regard to money.
You’re Only Human, HT to Challies. “God’s grace in that moment finally pierced my self-berating accusations and I was reminded: I’m human and in the process of sanctification as I seek to raise these sinful, imperfect, ‘in the process of sanctification’ little humans. God has given me circumstances as a mom that demand my attention, carry immense weight, and drain me physically, emotionally, and often spiritually. And he knows that.”
For the Mom Dropping Her Student Off at College, HT to Challies. “When you feel the temptation to hold on tighter, to micromanage, to over-protect, or to succumb to despair as your student moves into the dorm, remember Whose they are. They belong to the Lord. This is a new opportunity to practice trusting the One who loves both you and your son or daughter.”
A Hand on My Shoulder, HT to Challies. This is a sweet and touching story of one’s man’s influence coming full circle in another’s life.
Stray Thoughts 