In a previous post, we considered the virtue of diligence. The book of Proverbs teaches that diligence is essential if we are to live productively. In this post, we will consider two additional virtues that should be added to diligence to enrich and sustain our productivity: prudence and perseverance. Continue Reading →
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One of the topics that sometimes comes up in pastoral care (as well as in our personal lives) is productivity. It’s certainly something that we see mentioned frequently in our culture, with bestselling books, podcasts, and TED talks geared toward helping people become more productive. Continue Reading →
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A friend of mine is a pastor in Johannesburg and has done lots of thinking about cross-cultural ministry. He has a very helpful metaphor to describe our mindset when doing cross-cultural ministry. Drawing from how a driver first goes through a “learner phase” (in which they have to place a big red “L” sticker on one of the car windows), he says that when we do cross-cultural ministry, we all have to remember that we have “learner stickers” on. Even though we might have years of experience in biblical counseling, when we counsel someone from a different culture, we would be wise to slow down and consider how the cultural gap might impact our ability to understand and care for someone else. Continue Reading →
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Christians today are increasingly aware of the importance of emotions. This growing emotional awareness is a positive development—especially when we learn how to process those emotions with God! At the same time, and perhaps even connected to this heightened emotional awareness, there is a growing recognition of the importance of lament. But as we think through processing our emotions and practicing lament, there is an important distinction to make. That distinction is the difference between venting and lamenting. Continue Reading →
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It feels like there is a huge gap between our mental health challenges and our relationship with God. This gap raises all sorts of questions, such as What is the spiritual significance of our psychological struggles? and What do we do if we have been given a psychiatric diagnosis—what does the Bible have to say to us? Into this complex area, Ed Welch has written an incredibly helpful (and short!) book. In I Have a Psychiatric Diagnosis: What Does the Bible Say? Welch helps us bridge the divide between the Bible and the psychological world. Continue Reading →
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