We should gladly accept good things when they come, but don’t let them make you forget where the fountain of happiness is.
Good things, good people, good jobs, good moments come and go. If they don’t go they will change. And during that change they will definitely disappoint you along the way. Continue reading “on being happy”
Recently I watched a Chinese soap opera portraying a spoiled little imperial prince. He treated all the servants like dirt and had no respect for his elders’ authority. I was thinking how different he is from kids in our era, who are expected to be nice and multicultural and polite. But then I thought it must’ve been because these princes were raised for a specific purpose: their education consisted in how to rule the kingdom and stay alive. Their education had nothing to do with getting along with other people. They literally had no reason to be nice.
Which made me think back to my niceness vs kindness debate, which I’ve briefly touched on before. Why are we nice? Is niceness for its own sake worth it? Often we are nice because, let’s face it, you won’t get far in life if everyone hates you. Continue reading “on being nice”
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.” – 1 Cor 13:11-12
I’ve been thinking recently about the Bible’s promises of inheritance. If I (alongside all Christians) am co-heir of Christ, the image of the invisible God, firstborn of creation, king of all creation, then all his riches, his grace, his righteousness are mine. That’s a sweet deal.
Then why does life still feel decidedly unawesome? Continue reading “on small dreams”
“I have learned the secret of being content in any and very situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-13
Recently two things have been on my mind: what it means to be free, and why is it that certain sins seem perfectly acceptable to certain quarters of Christianity. I won’t go at length about how both have played out in my head but here’s how I think they’re linked.
The key to freedom is being content. Freedom from wanting more and more is not gained by getting stuff, but to finally take a step back and say that’s enough, I’ll enjoy what I have. The same applies to jobs, popularity, experiences in life – get while you can but at some point you realise that the desire for more will not be satisfied by getting stuff. Continue reading “on being content”
I remember talking with my sister not too long ago about the story of Abraham and Isaac. There have been a few notable reflections on it in the past few years in pop culture, including the videogame The Binding of Isaac and the recent song Abraham’s Daughter.
We both agreed that yes it is true, the story is bizarre, barbaric even. But it makes no sense only outside of its biblical context. Continue reading “on the binding of isaac”
I don’t know about you, but this is often the only thing that comes to mind when someone asks about the cross:
Why did Jesus die for me? Because he loves me.
True, but equally true and arguably more important is this:
Why did Jesus die for me? Because I was bad and I deserved to die on that cross, not him.
We – all who trust in Jesus’ promise that the cross has set us free from death – are all alike. We are the sinful firstborn of Abraham who was spared sacrificial death because God promised that the death of a lamb instead would suffice. We are the firstborn of faithless Israel in Egypt, spared fatal judgement because a firstborn passover lamb took our place. We are the convict Yeshua bar-Abbas, the sinful son of the father, spared from execution at the last minute because the firstborn son of the father who shares our name, Yeshua bar-Joseph, went to the cross in our place.
Jesus, you are warm, warm like sunshine on the grass at the park, warm like a nice coat on a cold morning.
You are playful, like a light drizzle in the winter, like the birdsong in the middle of the night, like a little kid taking his first steps.
You are sustaining, like a packet of biscuits on a very empty stomach.
You are gentle, like the older brothers who sit me down and listen.
You are dashing, like a warrior marching to battle.
You are soft, like the breeze on my face.
You are fierce, like a bear defending her cubs.
You are constant, like the smooth surface of the third pillar from the right at the entrance to All Souls Church Langham Place.
You are just, like the constant sunrise.
You’ll come back, like you said you would.
Satan will tell you that your worth lies in how many zeroes your pay check ends in, or how many women you’ve held in your arms, or how many square feet your house contains.
If he’s feeling clever he will tell you your worth lies in how much time you spend with your family, or how many lives you’ve touched, or how many hours you spend helping other people. Continue reading “on self worth”
What does it mean to have a relationship with someone?
Spending time with them, getting to know them. But will this person love you less if you spend less time with them or put less effort into the relationship than they do? Continue reading “on a relationship with Jesus”
Consider: nothing that the Christian does or fails to do can condemn him before God.
What are the biblical grounds in support of this statement? Continue reading “on the abuse of indelible grace”
Remember, My Lord 