What Does the Bible Say About Putting Yourself Down?

putting yourself down bible
Romans 7:24-25

The Bible says we must put ourselves last if we hope to be a servant to all and reflect Christ (Mark 9:35). What that does not mean, however, is that we must “put ourselves down.”

Negative self-talk, hatred of self, and putting yourself down are not commands found in the Bible. So what does the Bible say about putting yourself down?

Read more

Why Did the Father of the Prodigal Son Celebrate His Homecoming?

why the father homecoming celebrated the prodigal son
Luke 15:11-32

The parable of the prodigal son is perhaps the richest parable in the entire Bible. So many theological and practical points can be made about God, humans, and the story we all find ourselves in through studying Luke 15:11-32.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful angles to look at this story is by answering the question, “Why did the father of the prodigal son celebrate his homecoming?” When we answer this question, our appreciation for the glory of God and his great love for us expressed in grace is intensified.

So here are four reasons the father of the prodigal son celebrated his homecoming.

Read more

5 Questions to Find the Root of the Problem

How to find the root of the problem
Ephesians 5:15

When we look at other people’s lives, it’s usually pretty easy to see root of their problems. Your friend can’t commit even though she keeps meeting potentially great partners, and she just can’t figure out why. You know her dad left her when she was young, so it seems obvious to you that her commitment issue is probably a defense mechanism to protect herself from not getting abandoned again. Why can’t she see this?

Read more

What Does the Bible Say About Personal Responsibility?

What does the Bible Say about personal responsibility_
A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD. -Proverbs 19:3

So what does the Bible say about personal responsibility?

Throughout the Bible, the real problem was not the Philistines, Egyptians, Syrians, or Romans. It was not the Red Sea, the lack of water, or the absence of food for the people. Nothing could hinder God’s purpose for his people other than the people themselves.

Read more

Grieving and Healing

Grieving to Healing Bible
1 Peter 5:10, Psalm 34:19

Life is painful. With every increase of joy and happiness comes a greater and greater likelihood of experiencing loss. The more important something becomes to you, the more it hurts when it’s taken away. And so if you allow your heart to be open to anything good at all, you also are opening your heart to a very real possibility of being wounded deeply.

So what should we do? It feels like life is one big unwinnable catch-22. We want to experience happiness in this life, and yet to open ourselves up to the possibility of happiness is to make ourselves vulnerable to pain. And yet if we stay closed off to the possibility of pleasure in relationships, careers, churches, and in all the other areas which culminate to make a full, rich life, we may go unscathed but we also will go on living a boring, safe life where our need for safety is also steeling our need for joy.

Read more

How to Get Through Pain as a Christian

John 16:20-22
John 16:20-22

Throughout Jesus’ time on earth, he promised that his people will, without question, experience much pain, turmoil, and persecution on this earth. What is often overlooked is that he also promised that the prize for enduring these things for the sake of Christ will be far greater than the pain. Mark 10:28-30 explains:

Read more

Idolizing the Past

idolizing the past bible
Luke 7:30, John 12:19, Philippians 1:6

Sequels are usually not nearly as good as the original film or book in a series. Most sequels fail to live up to the greatness of the original story because they are trying to recreate the magic that happened the first time rather than building on the story. They try to go through the same plot progression as the first story, the characters end getting into the same trouble, and the whole point of the movie is simply to redo the first one under a different title.

Do you know that we can do that in our lives too? It’s good to look back at our past with fond memories. But there are countless dangers that come with idolizing our past.

Read more