“Help, I’ve been taken hostage!” “By what?” you may ask. By my negative thoughts, fears, anxieties and the like. By my mind, yes, my very own mind. Well, it’s time for me to be honest about this, to confront it and put it to rest. Here’s what I’m talking about. ...
Read More »Accomplishing God-Given Goals: Lessons From Nehemiah
I love the book of Nehemiah–always have–every reading! “Nehemiah?” you respond with raised eyebrows. Yep, Nehemiah. Why? First, thanks to my good pastor’s attention to detail and delight with God’s word, the book lays out a clear plan for accomplishing a God-given goal. Second, Sanballat and Tobiah personify the devil, ...
Read More »Passive Aggressiveness: When the Bully Plays the Victim
Remember how Lucy pulled the football away from Charlie Brown each time he went to kick off, thus sabotaging the game? In Lucy’s mind, losing the championship was worth making her teammate look bad. This is a picture of passive-aggressive behavior, which is closely related to mind games, discussed in ...
Read More »Mind Games: “Abstain from every form of evil”
A friend who comes from a family with a long legacy of generational witchcraft once said, “If someone plays mind games with you, it’s completely evil.” His cautionary advice stayed with me as I saw it played out in work situations, extended family relationships, and even the church. Over the ...
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