Author: Tim Challies

While today we tend to associate step-parents with divorce, in previous centuries they were almost exclusively associated with death and with either widow- or widowerhood. In an era in which lifespans were shorter and, therefore, a greater number of parents died while their children were still young, there was a distinct and honored role for these second or substitute parents. Economic and practical necessity often dictated that bereaved husbands and wives remarry very quickly after the death of a spouse.See AlsoThe Parenting Book Too Few Parents ReadNew and Notable Christian Books for ChildrenWeekend A La Carte (June 6)

Just as Olympic athletes cannot realistically expect to win a gold medal unless they strictly discipline themselves toward victory, Christians cannot hope to prevail in the Christian life unless they take a serious, disciplined approach to it. Yet lurking in the background is always the temptation to hope that we can have the result of diligent labor without the labor itself, that we can have the glorious end we desire without the difficult means. See AlsoIt’s Not a Life of EaseGod Sets the Terms and ConditionsRun To Win! The Lifelong Pursuits of a Godly Man