Life places many demands on us: the demands of navigating our careers, marriages, parenting, dating lives, friendships, self care and service, to name a few. The demands aren’t bad things, they are simply the way life works. The reality is that we all have our responsibilities. Our demands require us to have energy, positivity, and…
The Entitlement Cure: The Path of Jesus
There is an Easy Way. It is the yoke of Jesus, and it is identical to God’s Hard Way. This is no play on words; it is real and true. From God’s perspective, they are one and the same. In the words below, Jesus gives us this comfort and encouragement: Come to Me, all you…
Practicing Boundaries: Love vs Enabling
Practicing Boundaries: Love vs Enabling We all want to care and help those in need. But how do you know when you are being loving with someone, or are actually enabling them? When you are faced with a request for your time, energy or money, how do you know if the right response is to…
Boundaries: Guard Your Heart
We were created to be who God designed us to be, to love who God calls us to love, and to accomplish what God tasks us to accomplish. That is the secret to a fruitful and fulfilled life, with great relationships and a deep sense of purpose. Unfortunately, we all encounter obstacles which can distract,…
Boundaries: Pray for Wisdom
The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. As the Twelve Step movement grows within the church, Christians in therapy and recovery voice a common confusion. Am I powerless over my behavior? If…
Establishing Boundaries With Yourself
Learning to be mature in self-boundaries is not easy. Many obstacles hinder our progress; however, God desires our maturity and self-control even more than we do. He’s on our team as an exhorter, encourager, and implorer (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12). One way to begin developing limits on out-of-control behavior is to apply a boundary checklist: 1. What are the symptoms?…
How to Set Boundaries at Work
Christians often have a warped way of looking at work. Unless someone is working “in the ministry,” they see his work as secular. However, this view of work distorts the biblical picture. All of us — not only full-time ministers — have gifts and talents that we contribute to humanity. We all have a vocation,…
Respecting God’s Boundaries
God expects His boundaries to be respected. When He makes choices, or says no to us, that is His right, His freedom. If we are to have a real relationship with Him, we need to respect that freedom. When we try and put Him into binds where He “has to do something,” we are testing…
God With Us
Have you ever thought about how different your life is when you are alone, versus when you are connected deeply to others? We all face difficult challenges, such as issues in marriage, relationships, parenting and work. That is a normal part of life. But when we are disconnected from the support and love of others,…
The Law of Reaping and Sowing
The law of cause and effect is a basic law of life. The Bible calls it the Law of Sowing and Reaping. You reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the…