but God

Pivoting from But to God

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Sometimes it comes out as a whine. “But God, I’ve been waiting for so long.” On my worst days, I hear it coming out of me like a toddler-style tantrum, “But God, I just can’t do it!” In these “but God” prayers, my emphasis is in the wrong place. Instead of “but God,” I need to pivot to “but God.” From “but …

Are You Enough For God?

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“In Africa, we use names that have meaning,” she explained in a smooth voice that exuded warmth and hospitality. We were sitting under the shade of her friend’s carport, next to one of the nicest houses in Soweto. “I must get to know you so that I can give you a name that means something in my language,” she continued. …

freedom

What Captivates Me?

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Jesus preaches release to the captives and this is good news because I’m a captive. I don’t like to think of myself that way. I much prefer thinking of myself as an independent person. I value my freedom. I’m proud that freedom and liberty are core values in my country’s founding documents. And yet, I have to admit, there are …

Spiritual Maturity and Wisdom: Not Leaving Jesus Behind

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One of the wonderful, but sometimes frustrating, things about the New Testament is how little biographical information it gives us about Jesus. The Gospel of Luke spans 18 years of Jesus’ life (from age 12 to age 30) by telling us that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor” (Luke 2:52). This is reminiscent of …