God takes idolatry very seriously. The first of the Ten Commandmentsâand they are given in order of priorityâis about idolatry: âYou shall have no other gods before me.â Nothing else should get pride of place in our lives. He alone deserves our highest devotion, he alone is of infinite worth, and he alone can provide us with the ultimate meaning we seek. But our hearts are idol factories, as John Calvin wisely noted. You…
When trouble hits, as it inevitably does, the human heart instinctively cries out in prayer. (To the best of my knowledge, no other species exhibits this tendency.) A majority of people the world over pray regularly, even daily; remarkably, this number includes a large percentage of those who profess not to believe in God. Theologians would attribute this to our sensus divinitatis : our innate sense of the divine (cf. Romans 1:20), or our âincurable…
Iâm not in the habit of rantingâat least not this early in the morningâand the holidays donât bother me much, but there has been something brewing in me for several years now, and I feel it is time to let it out. As I say that, the wisdom of Proverbs assails me, imploring me to hold my tongue: âThose who guard their lips preserve their lives,â I hear, âbut those who speak rashly will come…
A Tale of Two Sermons? I recently heard two close friends give their opinion of the same sermonâa sermon I did not hear, delivered at a church I have only attended once. These were both seasoned believers who genuinely love God and seek to follow him. One raved about the sermon, touched by the pastorâs humility (and self-deprecation) and the liveliness of the delivery. The other actually wept at the conclusion of the message because…
I always enjoyed walking the streets of BogotĂĄ because of the remarkable variety of goods available for sale by innumerable street vendors. In fact, my wife and I began keeping a list of things we saw being sold, because we were so surprised by the spectrum. From toys to housewares, from food to technology, we could purchase just about anything we wanted without getting out of our car. There was a small danger though:…
My kids are at that point in their lives when they have to buy uniformsâlots and lots of uniforms. Inevitably, a handful of these uniforms are âone size fits all.â Iâm not sure who came up with this concept, because it is manifestly absurd. The children who need these uniforms are very different dimensions, and my peanut-sized children often swim ridiculously in clothes that fit other children quite nicely. I am not a fan of…
Abolishing the distinction between secular and sacred activities should revitalize our approach to evangelism especially. If we cling to the idea that some activities are âspiritualâ while others are mundane, we will only proclaim the good news of Christ Jesus when we feel we are in the âspiritualâ realm. Â When we have our âchurch hatâ on, we might participate in an outreach event; but when we have our âwork hatâ on, or our âhome hatâ…
Attributed to Augustine, the old adage says, âIn essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.â I suspect the wise Christian will heed this advice. Though one wishes to believe that all Christians will agree on every point, our finite and limited perspective will never allow us to have complete understanding of the depth of Godâs revealed Word. As such, Christians will disagree at various points along the theological spectrum. The question that then…
The fourth in a short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Despite the Churchâs lax stance on the issue today, Scripture nevertheless commands and expects modesty from those who follow Christ. âToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heartsâ (Hebrews 3:7-8). Because the weather is unseasonably warmâswelteringly hot, at least where I amâit seems worthwhile to discuss swimwear in this short series on the biblical virtue of modesty. Here especially…
The goal of parenting is not to be the perfect parent. The goal of parenting is that your children know God as the perfect Father. Parents devote too much energy to the idolatrous pursuit of perfection in parenting: choosing the best method of discipline, sleep training, nutritional habits, devotional activities. While working through the possibilities and choosing the wisest course for your family is important, it is not the most important. What…