The Bible makes this astounding proclamation: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus, the sinless one, willingly gave Himself over to be tortured—not for anything He had done, but to save those least deserving. We are not merely misguided subjects; we are rebels and traitors against the King. Yet God adopts us as His children and happily gives us a seat at His table. If this... Read more
Readers of my blog know how much I love and admire Joni Eareckson Tada, who has now spent 55 years as a quadriplegic. Joni, reflecting on what was then forty years in a wheelchair, once told me, “I’ve learned that suffering is messier than I once thought.” And yet God has used her to profoundly impact countless lives, for His glory. Including my life and Nanci’s. Joni has a new book, Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls. In honor... Read more
Psychotherapist Lynne Rosen and motivational speaker John Littig cohosted an hour-long radio show on WBAI in New York called The Pursuit of Happiness. But this Brooklyn couple’s final act was putting plastic bags over each other’s heads and committing suicide. Rosen and Littig were experts in pursuing happiness yet failures in catching it. This tragic couple epitomizes the irony that the more we advertise and purchase products, events, and books intended to make us happy, the unhappier we may become. In... Read more
In my book Happiness, I assert that modern Christians need to speak more, not less, about happiness—the kind of happiness that’s centered on Christ. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) said, “Let us leave sadness to the devil and his angels. As for us, what can we be but rejoicing and glad?” I talked with a young woman who viewed the Christian life as one of utter dullness. She knew that following Christ was the right thing to do, but she was certain it... Read more
Steve Saint texted me a couple weeks ago, reminding me that it was the 67th anniversary of the death of his father Nate Saint and the other missionary martyrs in Ecuador: Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming. Their story touched me deeply as a brand-new Christian. It’s amazing to think that Steve and his wife Ginny, Mincaye (the former warrior who was one of the murderers), Bert and Colleen Elliot, Steve McCulley, and Nanci and I were... Read more
Last March, my beloved wife, Nanci, lost her four-year battle with colon cancer. All 54 years I’ve known her, Nanci loved Jesus. But from a front-row seat, I watched a wonderful—and supernatural—change in those last four years. In 2019, Nanci wrote to a friend and fellow cancer sufferer, The cancer battle has been tough. However, my time with the Ancient of Days (one of my favorite names for God) has been epic! He has met me in ways I never... Read more
The peace or lack of peace one feels after praying about a decision can be highly subjective, unless it is specifically rooted in objective truths. Some people feel good about doing wrong things and others feel bad about doing right things. I have seen people make unwise and even catastrophic decisions who told me they prayed and felt good about it. I know of a woman who walked away from her marriage—without biblical grounds—because in her words, “The Holy Spirit... Read more
“Providence” is a word we use frequently in talking about God, but we may not have thought deeply about what it means. Theologian Timothy George defines it as “God’s faithful and effective care and guidance of everything which He has made toward the end which He has chosen.” God’s providence was a deep comfort to both Nanci and me as we faced her cancer. In her journal, Nanci quoted Joni Eareckson Tada: “God is not a sweep-up boy who follows... Read more
Emmanuel Ndikumana was nineteen years old when he heard that a group of young men in Burundi planned to murder him in two weeks. He chose to stay where he was and survived the attempted murder through God’s amazing providence. When telling me his story, Emmanuel made this comment: “You Americans have a strange attitude toward death; you act as if it’s the end.” The truth is, we’ll be far happier in this life if we understand it isn’t our... Read more
Someone asked a great follow up question on Facebook, in response to my blog Will We Have Regrets at the Judgment Seat of Christ?: “Will we ask forgiveness of others in Heaven if we weren’t able to make it right here on Earth?” I think in all probability, we might. We know for sure that will give an account of our lives to God: “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). That suggests there... Read more
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