Faith is not an abstract idea. Nor it is a passive acceptance of certain set of beliefs. Faith is not merely a matter of eternity, either. Faith is God in action within us now. Faith is God changing us inside out. And then we are sent to live out our faith in our communities. Because faith needs to be lived and shared. That way it becomes visible. It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes…
Compassion makes life beautiful. Compassion makes life worth living. Compassion gives us a glimpse of heaven here on earth. Because God is is the epitome of compassion. If we want to be compassionate we need to become more like him. The fifth spiritual fruit discribed in Galatians 5:22 has traditionally been translated kindness (NIV/NRSV/CEB) or gentleness (KJV). The Message describes it as “a sense of compassion in the heart”. I think it is more thought-provoking than kindness or gentleness. It…
A life filled with harmony, peace, and love is something we all want. And, yet, we can’t quite achieve it. Because harmony, peace, and love are by-products of living well, not things we can force to appear. But how could we live the way these things would naturally appear? How could we live in love? How could we create life full of faith, hope, and love? Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who…
Did you know that you are a very important person in God’s plans? For real. It does not necessarily feel like it or even look like it from your perspective. But when you look at the big picture or from God’s perspective, you see the importance of every person in the relay of faith. Just the same way we need to look at the big picture and not to be satisfied with partial truths when we are reading the Bible….
Do you know how to live well? How to have a blessed life? George Herbert states “Living well is the best revenge” encouraging us to move on with our lives after disappointments and concentrate in living well. An online dictionary tells us that well-being is “The state of being healthy, happy, or prosperous; welfare”. Probably something we all want. The ways we think we can achieve it varies from person to person. Living well for me is living according to…
Is it wrong to have fun and enjoy life? Is it okay to love life? Is joyful living a sin? These are questions that used to haunt me as a teenager. I was on the verge of independence, eager to start out my own life. I had grown to love the Lord more than anything but I didn’t know if it was okay to have fun, enjoy life. I have a bubbly personality so this was indeed an important question…
Is the call for simple living a chore or a privilege? Something you have to pretend or something you embrace wholeheartedly? Simple living is not the easiest task to accomplish in our hectic world. Our attention as consumers is constantly wanted. It takes a lot of practice to successfully navigate between needs and wants. It takes a lot of prayer to maintain a lifestyle that is focused on God and not on stuff. A God-loyal life keeps you on track;…
Does your Christian faith influence your take on Friday the 13th? Or do you still feel skirmish? It might be Friday the 13th but “This is the day the LORD acted; we will rejoice and celebrate in it!”. (Ps.118:24, CEB) Yes, let’s rejoice! It might be Friday the 13th but all the promises of the Bible are in effect also today. Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about…
Do you know how to overcome temptations? Because it is not about growing your moral muscle! The main thing to remember is this: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13, NKJV) The Amplified Bible says the same verse this way: “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me.” We have strength for all things if we are in Christ who empowers us. Okay, you say. But how to do it? How to…
Have you tried to change your habits or get back into gear? Isn’t it hard? After our 2-week vacation I have had really hard time of getting back to routine of going for my meditative prayer walks at 6am. I managed to get up yesterday but missed this morning. Sigh. Larry Lea has said “Everyone wants to change, but change demands desire and discipline before it becomes delightful. There is always the agony of choice before the promise of change.”…
