Recently, a client requested a list of Scriptures which could help guide her and her boyfriend in their future marriage. Immediately, familiar marriage passages such as Ephesians 5, 1 Corinthians 13, and 1 Peter 3 came to mind. But, there are also many verses not seemingly pertaining to marriage which still pertain to marriage. About ten years ago, I heard a sweet lady in our Sunday School class say, “Don’t study marriage to have a good marriage. Study Christ.” I recall that advice today. It is good to prepare for marriage, to learn communication skills, and discuss finances. However, no … [Read more...]
The Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control
Self-control may be one of the most obvious external aspects of the fruit of the Spirit because when someone doesn't have self control, it's usually no secret. In some cases people keep self-control issues to themselves (e.g. food binging, pornography, etc.) because they are ashamed or uncomfortable sharing their struggle with others. In other cases, the lack of self-control is shown through displays of anger, sexual activity outside of marriage, and careless words – just to name a few. However, when someone is cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, he or she will display self-control in … [Read more...]
The Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
As a young girl, I loved Cinderella… and as an adult, I still love Cinderella. I realize that life doesn’t often happen the way it does in a fairy tale, but I am still drawn to her character. She had birds eating out of her hands, she found joy in the simplest of things, and even though her step-mother and sisters were cruel to her, she treated them with respect. If one word describes Cinderella best, it’s gentleness. What made her character so beloved was her kind, gentle way of approaching people and animals. Her voice was soft and inviting and she moved about gracefully. I’ve been told by … [Read more...]
The Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
The other night while I should have been sleeping, I found myself watching a documentary on the life of Pat Nixon. Let me preface the following by saying this: when Eric goes through anything difficult, it weighs heavily on my heart. So, I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be the wife of a President who was so deeply shamed in the eyes of his country and the world. Sometimes I wonder if I could have handled it if I had been in her shoes. Aside from that, President Nixon showed very little regard for her in public and it was rumored that he left her out of many of his political … [Read more...]
The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
This afternoon is one of my favorite kinds of afternoons. There are soft rumbles of thunder in the air and rain is falling softly outside. Sitting on the bed with the laptop in my lap, I feel the urge to turn off all sounds in the house and enjoy the gentle sounds of the rain. Listening to the drops fall, I think about the goodness of God. After He made His creation, He said that it was “good.” (Genesis 1:31) Whatever He does is always good though it may not always seem as such at the time; however, no matter what trials we encounter, He is still good… because goodness defines who God … [Read more...]