Short and Sweet

AVERAGE LIFE SPANS ARE shorter than most of us realize. Unlike the great redwood trees that can last for a thousand years, most other things come and go quickly. Several examples illustrate how temporary things really are: Copper plumbing: twenty to twenty-five years; Face-lift: six to ten years; Car muffler: two to three years; Dollar bill: five to six years

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Persistence, Part One

Persistence pays. It’s a costly investment, no question about it. But the dividends are so much greater than the original outlay that you’ll almost forget the price. And if the final benefits are really significant, you’ll wonder why you ever hesitated to begin with. A primary reason we are tempted to give up is other people . . . you know, the less than 20 percent whose major role in life is to encourage others to toss in the towel.

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Friend of God

DIRECT INTERCHANGES between God and individuals don’t occur often in Scripture. But in Abraham’s life, his interchange with God takes the form of a true dialogue, a back-and-forth conversation between friends.

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Laying the Foundation of Courage

Elijah had prayed that it would not rain and, ultimately, it did not rain for three and a half years. So the dried-up brook was just an indication that the very thing he had prayed for was beginning to take place. He was living in the result of his own prayer.

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Externals vs. Internals

The nation to whom the prophet Isaiah wrote was going through the empty motions of a hollow religion. All the right words, all the right appearances, but zero results. They even fasted and prayed.

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The Hardest Part of the Christian Life

The most difficult discipline in the Christian life, in my opinion, is waiting. But God used that to force us to lean on Him . . . to trust Him . . . to believe in Him . . . to release our will and accept His.

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What’s Your Motive?

During my days in seminary, I formed a habit that helped me immensely throughout life. I had my artistic sister, Luci, print a simple, three-word question on a small rectangular card I placed on the wall.

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Mercy Is More Than Words

Shocking stories make headlines today with remarkable regularity. A young woman was brutally attacked as she returned to her apartment late one night. She screamed and shrieked as she fought for her life.

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The Tongue of the Wise, Part Two

We’ve been talking about the rare but essential quality of tact. I mentioned that the classic example of tactless humanity is the abrasive Christian who feels it is his or her calling to fight for the truth with little or no regard for the other fella’s feelings. For all his rapid-fire Scripture quotations, you will rarely find Proverbs 18:19 on the lips of this armored crusader:

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