rebelling against low expectations
Isn’t it aggravating when you take the time to explain your struggles to a friend, asking for guidance, and all they say is, “You’ve got this!” or, “Don’t worry, pray about it!” You know what I mean. The advice that sounds more like a pre–game pep talk than godly counsel. Sound familiar? I thought so. We’ve all had experiences like these, and we may even be guilty of being the ones to give this...
Every now and then I am overwhelmed with the feeling of dissatisfaction. I’m sure you’ve felt it too. That overwhelming feeling that nothing fulfills. Where nothing brings you joy, nothing soaks you with purpose. You realize that you aren’t kept awake and wide eyed on Christmas Eve anymore. Maybe you don’t get as excited about the first snow. Maybe it goes deeper than that slow loss of childlike...
Editor’s Note: The Screwtape Letters is the title of a book by C.S. Lewis in which an older demon gives advice to a younger tempter through a series of letters. Needless to say, the advice given is exactly what we should guard against as Christians. This article is written in the style of a Screwtape letter, addressing the subject of young women. “The Enemy” refers to God, and...
Confession: I haven’t seen Endgame. Okay, no, that’s not the confession (though it is true). The confession is I haven’t even seen Infinity War. And it’s not because I don’t want to — far from it! Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I’m a Lord of the Rings-Star Wars-Marvel kind of girl. (Not DC. Sue me.) But then the doctor said no. No, you can’t watch action movies anymore. Sara, it’s...
She sat across from me, clutching the coffee mug tightly in her hands. This was supposed to be a normal conversation in a café, yet quickly became anything but. As her words and then tears began to trickle and then gush out, I quickly came to sit beside her, letting the torrential rain of hurt and grief flow out. When the storm had slowed, she looked at me with broken eyes. Her hurt is not mine...
Hurrying down the hallway, I bit my lip to keep from crying as I walked out of the classroom. Tears threatened to escape at any moment, but I managed to keep them from falling. Their source? I’d gotten a low score—much lower than I’d expected—on a recent test. I was not happy with God because I knew He could have intervened, yet He didn’t seem to be doing anything about it. My rebellious heart...
He had everything going for him. A sophomore at a small Bible college in the hills of eastern Kentucky, a bass in the men’s quartet that the college sent out to travel, a disk jockey at the Christian radio station right next to the school… what more could he want? Having just finished a very anointed and Spirit-filled tour of churches and camps throughout the eastern U.S. with the quartet, he was...
I’ve always known about Jesus. From the time I was old enough to understand, I learned about creation, the cross, the resurrection, and the power and love of God. My parents lovingly took me to church, and Sunday school as a baby, toddler, and curly haired five-year-old. I recognized sin, and knew it was part of my life. I remember praying a prayer in my bed one morning, a little girl who wanted...
rebelling against low expectations
