As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Content[ment] is the philosopher’s stone which turns all it touches into gold; happy is he who has found it. Content[ment] is more than a kingdom, it is another word for happiness. —C. H. Spurgeon” - C.Leaders
“I don’t mean that magnanimity is unique to men or that women are not also called to this trait. After all, Witherspoon calls it a Christian virtue. But I do think magnanimity is a virtue particularly befitting to manhood, and that manhood bereft of magnanimity is especially lamentable.” - DeYoung
Meekness “is the opposite of insisting that this world would be a better place if God and man alike just did things my way. Therefore, it is the opposite of grumbling against God’s providence as it’s expressed through circumstances or even through the hands of men.” - Challies
“In my third sonnet on the Fruit of the Spirit, I reflect a little bit on how God brings peace to our relationships. Only by yielding to His work within us can our world ever have peace.” - Jake Bier
The Christian is a joyful being! He’s one who has come to know God and hopes to know him more fully, indeed, to know him face to face in glory where there will be an eternal enjoyment of who He is and who we are in Him. In this world, this kind his joy is contagious.” - Ref21
“In troubled times, ‘looking out for Number One’ is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Just as a threefold cord is not easily broken, so we as believers benefit by facing the certain troubles as a unified body, looking out for and supporting one another. Troubled times are the worst times to be fragmented or to go it alone.” - Olinger
“We need the humility to stop pretending we have infallible knowledge of other people’s motives, especially when we engage brothers and sisters on the social-justice controversies of our day. It’s better to ask people about what makes them tick (or ticked) rather than assume it. That’s part of what it means to obey Scripture’s command to ‘be quick to hear’ (James 1:19).” - TGC
Steven Viars: “we do not have to give bitter circumstances the final say. Wise Solomon warned us that “the heart knows its own bitterness” (Proverbs 14:10). In the power of Christ, we can learn to process these episodes of suffering in our hearts in ways that moves us toward the Lord in greater dependence and faith.” - Challies
What should we do when the wicked prosper?
Like most of you, I’m deeply concerned with a lot that’s taking place in our country. Godless ideologies are rapidly becoming mainstream as wicked people in powerful positions of influence relentlessly advance their agendas. Those who try to resist are marginalized or “cancelled.” The alarming success of the wicked cannot be ignored. It’s reshaping our culture, worldview, relationships, and freedoms. One can only imagine what might be on the horizon if the wicked continue to prosper in their endeavors.
“Of course, our churches do need to grow. They do need to become holier and healthier. Paul knew this. Repentance mattered to him. Just ask the Corinthians. But what first grabbed Paul’s attention when he thought about that rowdy, discriminatory congregation in Corinth? God’s grace (1 Cor. 1:4–9).” - 9 Marks
Discussion