Tell the Truth Regardless of the Consequences
A couple of the first lessons we learn as children are never to tell a lie and always tell the truth. But in our fallen nature, all of us have been tempted to lie to avoid getting in trouble, to prevent disappointing someone, or to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. But lies come with consequences and […]
How To Deal Wisely With a Fool
Peter Marshall was the chaplain of the United States Senate from 1947 until his untimely death in 1949. Marshall was loved for his sermons and especially for his prayers that cut to the heart of every issue. In one of his brief Senate prayers, Marshall asked, “Save us from hotheads that would lead us to […]
Avoiding the Trap of Gossip
When someone commits an offense against us, our first inclination is to tell other people. We want others to know about our offender’s poor behavior and the injustice we’ve suffered. As a result, there’s a temptation to fall into the trap of gossip. The Bible repeatedly warns about the sins of our mouth. The book […]
Words That Heal
It was my senior year of high school, and I was sitting in Ms. Nelson’s English class. She was handing back papers we’d written on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. As she made her way up and down the rows, she paused in front of my desk and squatted down so she could look at […]