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Celebrating #Father’sDay in a Fallen World
It’s true. Despite the many wonderful fathers I’ve had the privilege to know, a discussion of fathers quickly reminds us that we live in a fallen world. What’s funny? We all still want fathers, even those who’ve had the worst of experiences. If I could count the hours I’ve spent listening to kids talk about their fathers, especially those who didn’t have contact with them anymore because of abandonment, incarceration, severe addiction, etc. . . . Good, bad, or indifferent, fathers are important. Period.
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A #Mother’s Day Prayer in an Imperfect World
While holidays tend to highlight the pain of the lonely and broken, the gospel gives comfort. Psalm 68 reminds us the God is “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. . . . “ (Psalm 86:5-6). James 1 explains, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this; to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). In short, the church is meant to be a family in a world when so many don’t have one.
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The Challenge of #Gospel Love
Recently, my devotions have had me reading in 1 John. The truth? This book has always been a tough one for me. Tough verses such as, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” (3:6), or how about “If anyone says, ’I love God’, and hates his brother, he is a liar” (3:20), and “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (2:15). Ouch. I’ll admit it. I prefer other verses that don’t remind me of my glaring depravity. …