As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
As we’ve noted, even Jonah the bigot knew that God had revealed himself as a God of compassion, who extends mercy even to the most wicked, upon their repentance—and who seeks that repentance from them.
When and where did God reveal this?
It begins with Moses.
“There is a reluctance among Christians to condone gambling but not enough opposition to condemn it outright. I think many Christians aren’t quite sure what to make of the morality of gambling.” - C.Today
These days, you don’t have to be a news junky to hear of events that arouse strong disapproval or outright anger. But how should Christians feel about the foolishness and wrongdoing going on in our world and our culture? Should we be unmoved? Should we be perpetually outraged? What about Christian joy?
The Bible is clear that some things ought to get us worked up. We’re called to “hate evil” (Psalm 97:10, Prov 8:13, Amos 5:15), to “be angry” yet “not sin” (Eph 4:26).
“God intends for the beauty of brokenheartedness to mingle with the beauty of boldness so that a new reality emerges even more beautiful than the sum of both—a new reality called brokenhearted boldness. It is one of God’s most beautiful works. And it is one of the most needed in our day.” - Eternal Perspective
“If your path calls for self-reflection, spiritual development, and harmony with God’s plan, a counselor could be the better option. On the other hand, if your emphasis is on decision-making, process improvement, and goal achievement, a coach might be of great help.” - GARBC
“modern parents seem to be having an especially hard time. The U.S. surgeon general recently released an advisory warning that parental stress is a significant public health concern as 4 in 10 parents say that most days they feel so stressed they can’t function.” - TGC
Related:
“Such are the times in which we live. And we are tempted to believe that these cultural circumstances make us strangers and exiles in a world that once embraced our values. But that’s not the whole story.” - Rosaria Butterfield
Also… Hospitality in the Bible: Following Jesus’s Hospitality of the Cross - Word by Word
“Paul actually turned his back on a God-given opportunity to minister. Why? Because, he says, ‘I did not find my brother Titus there.’” - Randy Alcorn
We’re polarized.
Yep.
And each side sees the other as the Ultimate Personification of Evil.
They’re bad people, you see. They want to destroy us and all that we hold dear.
No tactic is out of bounds in our desire to destroy them.
It’s war.
Bring it.
There were situations like this in biblical times: existential crises, where God’s people, and all they held dear—or should have held dear—was under assault by those who hated what they stood for, because they hated the God who had chosen them for himself.
“God wants us to understand our anger by speaking to our souls, by contemplating the anger in silence, and then by doing the next right thing. And this will demonstrate by our acts that we trust in Yahweh, and not in our own devises.” - TGC
Discussion