I still remember where I was sitting when the phone rang. It was the director of my mission board. We were only three months into deputation to join a missions team in Zambia, Africa. My heart had been set on that plan for four years. Everything fell into place. But in one phone call it was all demolished. Our coworkers were moving. Their new location didn’t need another family. All of our plans were off.
A phone has enormous possibilities for both convenience and catastrophe. Before parents entrust their child with such a powerful tool, they should carefully consider whether their child is mature enough to handle it–and carefully coach the child to use it properly.
Although marriage is not the only place where one can find spiritual blessing, social blessing, or material blessing, it might be the only place where one can find all of those blessings so closely tied together. If the church is wise, she will promote this full package of blessings and nothing less.
Does God have in mind one person you’re supposed to marry? Can you miss God’s will? Where do you start in seeking God’s will? For the next two weeks we’ll consider six biblical foundations concerning God’s will, leaving us in a better position to discern what God wants us to do.
This world in general, and American culture in particular, cloaks the make-believe with authenticity. The Bible tells us that true authenticity is impossible apart from the gospel.
With poignant lyrics, Passenger has put into words the Millennials’ angst: we feel the dull trauma of our hollowness and long for something real. Our Facebook statuses, tweets, and Instagram photos project only the image we care to present. As the generation that has touted authenticity as the ultimate virtue, we have come to embody the vice we most despise: hypocrisy.
Discernment means more than dissecting Disney films. We need discernment in choosing whether we watch those films in the first place, where we spend our money, and how we use our free time. This seems complicated! Is there even a starting point?
God hasn’t audibly spoken to say which job to take, what career to pursue, or which girl to marry. But he has told you a lot—a whole book full of direction, in fact. Don’t spend your life looking for a sign or enlightenment. God has already spoken. Instead of searching under every mystical rock, keep it simple—go get your Bible and read it.
In part 1, Zach observed that marriage ought to be a spiritual blessing. This week we continue with Part 2—Embracing Marriage as a Social Blessing …
We shouldn’t let anxiety defeat us. But there are things that we ought to be concerned about. How do we know when we’ve crossed the line from legitimate concern to sinful worry?
