Some of you may have known that for the past year our family has prepared for a year in Ethiopia. I was called to teach at a theological seminary there. Then the pandemic happened and our year was first postponed and then canceled altogether due to financial difficulties of the Mission organization. Perhaps needless to say, our family was shocked. All our dreams for a year in Africa came crashing down. How did we take it? And how do you…
We all have a new normal now due to the threat of Covid-19. How are you adjusting? For some of us it is easy, but some might struggle quite a bit. What could we do to ease anxiety as we are adjusting to the new normal? The first thing is to remember even if the world and life is changing fast, God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And we can count on him in everything. Jesus Christ is…
Do you think the talk about God is good as long as it does not demand you to alter your way of living? That’s how we think of most of things, right? All is good until it tries to limit our life. We think any restrictions will spoil everything we have. But new and different do not – most often – equal bad or spoiled. Especially when it comes to surrendering to God and obeying his will. It’s the best…
Modern people would like to think there’s no sacrifice or compromise needed in anything. We would all like to be able to choose what we like and be perpetually happy. No sadness or sacrifices, instead, we want a happy ending in everything. But that’s not how life works. We can’t oust sadness no matter how much we’d like that. There is no such a thing as life on-demand. We all know everyone’s life is touched by sadness. It might be…
This post is for you who have already cried out to God for years for help but the obstacles won’t budge, difficulties keep piling up, you’re feeling worse and thinking you just can’t cope anymore. How to persevere when you’re at the end of your rope, you ask. Let’s try to find some morsels of hope for you to keep on keeping on. First of all, you need to know you’re not alone, God has not abandoned you, he is…
The difference between religion and faith is huge. They might look a lot alike at first but they could not be much more different. People who practice religion try to become good on their own. And people who practice faith know they can’t become good on their own. Hence they surrender to Jesus daily and by doing so let the Holy Spirit work in them. And that’s all God needs. He needs an opportunity to enter our lives. Then he…
Waiting is part of life. Most often we don’t like it but we have to deal with it. But what is the purpose of waiting? I’ve started to think the purpose of waiting is to prepare us. And the longer we refuse to be prepared, the longer the waiting period will be. Because we can’t enter into a new phase of life until we’re ready. Okay, you say. How can we get ready for the unknown future? True, we don’t…
This is a gentle reminder of remembering to pile our troubles on God’s shoulders and not our own. That’s what God wants us to do. Really. So let’s not keep on trying to manage on own. Self-reliance hinders our spiritual well-being. So cast your burden on the Lord and let him help you out. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.(Ps. 55:22, NRSV) I know we’ve taught to carry our own burdens but that’s not the Christian way to…
Life is full of ups and downs. We’d prefer not to have many downs but that’s not life. Perpetual sunshine is waiting for us in heaven. Meanwhile, there will be lots of rain and all kinds of life challenges. How to deal with them, that’s the key here. Joy is not the absence of demanding life events, it’s the ability to deal with them. Okay, you say. How can we do that? The main thing whenever you meet any kind…
One thing I’ve learned from the Bible is that we need to bring everything to God. Everything. Whatever it is that troubles us, we need to give to God. Sometimes we think God wants only the good stuff but that’s not true. God wants the whole package: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because he knows we need Him to live according to his will. Hence, if we doubt, we give that doubt to God. Then he can come…
