Gandhi on Celibacy

When it comes to sex, Gandhi is a breath of fresh air. Yes, he took things to the extreme by taking a vow of celibacy as a married man (with his wife’s consent), but in that decision he understood the proper place of sex in the human life. As he stated, “I think it the [...]

Be Merciful as Your Father is Merciful

I need to forgive the religious Right.
Just writing that sentence makes my heart heavy. I’m finding it difficult to do what I need to do. Resentment has wedged itself deeply in my mind and heart. I’m not the only one struggling with bitterness. Much has been said about the backlash against the Christian Right. Books [...]

Knowing God’s Will, Part II

In the post Knowing God’s Will Part I, I emphasized that we must ask ourselves a few preliminary questions before we are even ready to ask, “What is God’s will?” This is crucial; if we do not ask those preliminary questions we are more likely to dismiss God’s guidance when it contradicts what we want. We will rationalize it [...]

How To Outsmart Deception

This post is a sequel to Deception: Are You Being Fooled? It may be helpful to read that post first.
 
Are you gullible?  Not many of us would jump to say, “Yes!”  The idea that we are capable of being “hoodwinked” doesn’t flatter the ego.  When we realize “we have been had,” many of us feel [...]

Deception: Are You Being Fooled?

During her ruling against tobacco companies for violating racketeering laws, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler stated, “Over the course of more than 50 years, defendants lied, misrepresented and deceived the American public.” Deceit is the “concealment or misrepresentation of the truth.”  Synonyms include: illusion, lie, facade, fiction, falseness and mask.  Antonyms include: truth, fact, authenticity, [...]

Knowing God’s Will, Part I

A couple months ago, a commenter on this blog asked, “How can we know God’s will?” I promised her I would write a post about it at some point. So, here it is. Its a good question, and one I have often asked myself. 
 
One reason God’s will often seems so elusive is because we start our inquiry in the wrong place. The [...]

Life the Way We Want It, Part III

This is the 4th and final post in this series on walking by the Spirit (and not rules). It is also a “double-edition” post, a bit longer than usual. Come back to it a few times to absorb it if need be. To summarize the last three posts: 

Rules do not necessarily help us overcome unwanted behaviors [...]

Life the Way We Want It, Part II

This post will make more sense if read in light of the two previous posts, “Boycott New Year Resolutions” and “Life the Way We Want It, Part I.” 
What I love most about our freedom is that it strips everything to its authentic bare-bones.  When we are no longer bound to rules, it leaves us at [...]

Life the Way We Want It, Part I

This post is a sequel to the previous one, “Why Rules Don’t Work.” It may be helpful to read that post first for continuity of thought.
For years, as a Christian struggling with sin, I knew I needed to “tap into” power greater than my own human strength. But, I could not figure out the key, [...]

Why Rules Don’t Work

Desire a change for the New Year? Skip the resolutions. The problem with New Year resolutions is not the concept of  fresh starts, personal responsibility or positive change—God knows we need them. Rather, New Year resolutions give the illusion that change comes in one moment of decision, propelled by our “resolve.” Many of us will jump off the starting [...]