A common productivity trope is the "two minute rule": if a task will take two minutes or less, do it right now. The two minute rule can feed into a mindset where we need "clear the decks" (get small things done and out of the way) so we can then focus on the more important…
Yes, God wants you to be happy
It's true that God wants you to be happy. The question really becomes, "Where do we find happiness?" And the answer to that question in the Scriptures is God Himself. King David writes about having a relationship with God, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.2 | Real Knowledge Comes from Knowing Our Flaws
When we examine ourselves in light of God's truth, we should be disabused of the idea that we ever be confident in our own abilities or desiring to brag about ourselves. Instead, we should be inclined to submit to God's will. We all should follow this path if we desire to attain the true goal…
Effortless by Greg McKeown
Maybe life doesn't have to be so hard. Author Greg McKeown experienced firsthand some of the difficulties of modern life, when he experienced his own case of burnout and exhaustion. He wondered, "What does one do when they've stripped life down to the essentials, and it's still too much?" (9). Unable to push himself further,…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.1 | Knowledge of Self and Sin
An ancient proverb says that people must know themselves. If it disgraceful to be ignorant about the things of life, how much disgraceful is ignorance of yourself! If we are ignorant of ourselves, we end up deceiving ourselves of what matters most. It's like we're walking blindfolded through life. Unfortunately, some philosophers have misused the…
Blogging the Institutes | 1.18.3 | Objections to the Fact that God Wills All Things
I have written about what Scripture unambiguously teaches. Those who disagree with what I have written need to realize the kind of rebuke they deserve. What greater arrogance could there be than to disagree with the authority of God? For instance, to say "I think about things differently" or "This topic should have be broached."…
Our Problems Won’t Be Solved by the Government
An accusation I've heard lobbed against certain groups of people in our country is that they "look to the government to solve their problems." Unfortunately, I believe such an accusation can (rightly) be lobbed against the church based on our behavior and talk the past four years. The impression that is given off by some…
My Sayings
"Gotta Have Dog" Just like a dog is tenacious and persistent chewing a raw-hide bone, so we need to be persistent in life to get things done. "If it smells weird, it is weird." People, situations, and circumstances should fall within a certain boundary of "normal." If even small things that are said or done…
Anne Helen Petersen is the Rod Dreher of the Left
Rod Dreher is an often gloomy conservative blogger and author who believes that America is heading toward a time of "soft totalitarianism" where conservatives, especially religious conservatives, will be largely excluded from public life through the use of technology and social pressure. This coming totalitarianism is "soft" because while it may not result in outright…
We Move Because God Moved First
When was the last time you entered a room and no one greeted you? It probably was not a great feeling. All of us want to be acknowledged. But even more than that, we want to be seen, to be truly known and cared for. And those who believe in Jesus Christ—his church—play a crucial…
Raising Lazarus 