Self-deception is a self-consoling and self-elevating mechanism that helps us feel better when we find the truth uncomfortable, distressing, or painful in comparison. Self-deceit may play out like a mind game but it is actually emotionally driven. The Bible describes this as a “mind set on the flesh.” To think...
Fear, anxiety, and striving are signs that we may be drifting too far away from God. When we follow the Holy Spirit closely, we will experience great joy and peace. We can rest in the knowledge that the One who knows all our tomorrows will lead us safely and assuredly,...
A good and healthy fear of God brings immense blessings. It is the lack of fear, or even an exaggerated fear of God, that can destroy us. God is capable of incredibly tender and loving patience. At the same time, He is capable of intense fiery judgment. Just consider the...
Every human heart has been implanted with a God-given conscience. Even as toddlers, we instinctively know that we should not lie, steal, or abuse others, as written in the Ten Commandments. Yet the Bible also warns us that our consciences can be misled or even killed off by “deceptive spirits...
Loving God is the first commandment for any believer. Many things in this world jostle for our love and attention, notwithstanding our own church communities. Churches become our idols when we feel more connected and devoted to them than to Jesus. This drifting away from loving God first in church...
Jesus called us to become childlike in order to experience God and His Kingdom. Imagine a child holding its arms up to call for his daddy or running as his father calls. There is such innocence, awe, and expectation in its radiant smile. Is that the kind of faith we...
Protests, revolts, and violent confrontations are on the rise around the world, as ordinary civilians stand up against injustice, social ills, and oppression. Jesus Christ was also born into a time of severe oppression and social injustices. Yet He stood against His political oppressors in non-violent ways. What can we...
The ninth commandment in the Bible calls us not to testify falsely against someone. What if that someone is ourselves? At some point in time, we have all denied or downplayed some stressful emotions and thoughts to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. In other words, we testified falsely against ourselves....
Every workplace promotes a set of corporate values that it expects its employees to follow. Yet no matter how altruistic an employer’s values may be, it will always be in the company’s interest to promote some selfish ambition and greed. Greed may not have to be about money, it can...
Rarely does gossip represent the full story, it’s simply the side of the story we like to talk about. Most people are drawn to gossip because it seems to build social credit. Yet we dislike being the target of gossip ourselves. God’s Word says that gossipers are like those who...
Jesus commands all His followers to love others perfectly. Yet this is something each one of us struggles to fully obey. We understand the commandment in our minds, but our hearts may be pulled by invisible strings towards things like fear, resentment, envy, and judgment instead. Romans 7 describes this...
The Bible provides a lot of practical advice on money, including warnings about the things that bring financial poverty and spiritual curses. Our attitudes about money will always reveal the true nature of our hearts; whether we love God and love people more than riches. Here is a quick list...
The world chases after “bigger, better, faster, stronger” in the name of progress. We are told we can achieve anything as long as we try hard enough. Sadly, we can bring this same performance-based mentality into our relationship with God. We believe we can achieve spiritual “enlightenment” through our own...
Compassion is an amazing quality from God that enables us to foster deeper understanding and relationships, even with antagonistic people. By allowing the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with God’s loving compassion, we are able to move beyond anti-social behaviours to empathise with other people’s inner hurts and insecurities....
Both the poor and the rich face many temptations but the super wealthy face their own unique set of challenges, particularly when they unintentionally allow their wealth to define their identity and steer their lives. Jesus proclaimed that it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom...
Perfectionists often have a hard time understanding God’s love, grace, and forgiveness towards us, because we feel like we haven’t done enough or been good enough. A deeply imprinted inner script convinces us that, “Anything less than excellent is not good enough.” Sadly, perfectionism obstructs our relationship with a God...
A major stumbling block for believers who suffer injustices is the belief that we have the right to retaliate and set things straight. We are told that “what goes around, comes around.” The world glorifies “heroes” who teach the “bad guys” a lesson. Never mind if we blindly leave a trail...
All food produced from God’s earth is good. The Bible points out that wine “gladdens the heart of man”. Unfortunately, mankind has a tendency to misuse God’s good gifts. Today, alcoholic binge drinking is socially tolerated and even glorified with stories of outlandish behaviour and missing memories. Many of us are unaware of the...
All human beings are created by God, who is the Father of all life. God’s Word shows that He tenderly forms each baby inside his or her mother’s womb and gives it a name. God calls every child a gift and blessing from Him. Hence, it can be heartbreaking when we...
We can acquire vast amounts of knowledge but still make the wrong choices in life. It takes wisdom to decipher what is constructive, timely and appropriate for the long run. For believers, wisdom is not just the well-advised application of factual knowledge. Our wisdom comes from the ultimate Source of all...