rebelling against low expectations
Jim and Elisabeth Elliot are two of my heroes. I’ve devoured as many books by Elisabeth Elliot as I can get my hands on and been moved to tears by Jim’s commitment to God—and the tragedy it led to. I’ve read their journal entries and love letters, listened to audio clips from Jim and talks given by Elisabeth. God has used their steadfast devotion to Him to fuel a fire of passion in my own heart...
Bible reading. Prayer. Meditation. Fellowship. If you’ve spent some time in the church (or even on TheReb), you’ve probably heard a lot about these. You’ve probably also heard about some lesser-known practices like fasting, solitude, secrecy, or celebration. These are spiritual disciplines. Maybe you’re dedicated to practicing some or all of them. Maybe you think it would be a good idea and want...
How much have you read and explored the Old Testament? I don’t mean just reading the typical stories you see in a children’s Bible storybook, but actually reading through entire books? I personally haven’t read the entire Old Testament, but I’m currently on track to with my Bible reading plan. It’s fair to say most Christians prefer the New Testament – why read about the Israelites...
Priorities. We all know what it means to have them, and most of us strive to structure our days accordingly. Any Christian who has been in the church long enough has the head knowledge that God should come before all else. However, is having God as our “top priority” what we ought to be pursuing? Now, don’t get me wrong–of course God should still come first! I am not suggesting that there is...
“The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless.” This was the famed 20th Century Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s pessimistic outlook on life, and it is shared by many individuals today. Tolstoy felt life was meaningless because he rejected faith in God. But even Christians can sympathize with the feeling. Have you ever felt life was meaningless? One of the wisest and...
Scrolling through my old Instagram posts, I hesitated over one in particular. In that post, I made how sick I’d been public. It was pre-diagnoses, when the only thing doctors were telling me was that it was anxiety (it wasn’t). That was a very dark time in my life. I was at peace, yes, but that doesn’t change how dark it sometimes got—and sometimes still is. A lot of people told me things like...
“All religions are basically the same because they all have the same root idea of God.” A work friend of mine made this claim, arguing that there were no important differences between Christianity and other religions. Is that really the case though? My thoughts immediately went to the different views of Jesus within Christianity and Islam. At first, it seems like Christians and Muslims have many...
A relationship with God takes commitment and investment. We need steadfast faith to keep us in pursuit of the Lord even when life gets difficult. There is no shortage of distractions that seek to subtly pull us away from God. Worldly pressure can ensnare us through intimidation to fit its mold. The lies of the enemy pierce our hearts like arrows with discouragement and deception. Our own flesh...
In a time of worldwide suffering, we must face our true beliefs about the character of God. Maybe we believe that God must be absent. He must be apathetic toward humanity. Maybe he’s paralyzed because the suffering of his people is so great and he doesn’t know what to do. Maybe God unleashed this on us as a sort of punishment for our unrighteousness. Or Maybe we’re just wondering how God could...
Cold stones surround me. Little light drifts in through the window, but the darkness doesn’t stop me from hearing. Nothing can block out the noise. Not even the heavy doors and firmly built walls that hold me captive. The sound increases and I wonder how many people are standing outside. There must be hundreds. My chest tightens. I know the effect a mob can have. Tilting my head, I concentrate. A...
rebelling against low expectations
