As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Lifeway study for Faith for Just Lending: “More than 3 in 4 believe it is a sin to loan money in a way that the lender gains by harming the borrower….Still, 1 in 3 have obtained a payday loan themselves, and a growing number see such loans as helpful.” - Lifeway
“It is necessary that we take time to rest and enjoy healthy entertainment, but a problem arises if mindless entertainment controls the majority of the only eight hours of the day we have control over.” - IFWE
“So where do church money ‘gimmicks’ fit in? They don’t. But that hasn’t stopped leaders from using them as shortcuts to true discipleship. Here are four of the most common that I’ve witnessed” - C.Leaders
“This parable reminds us that it is a sin to squander what God has given us. He has given us three main resources: time, treasure, and talent, and all three work together for the flourishing of the world, for the flourishing of ourselves, and for the glory of God.” - IFWE
“In former days Christians spoke often of duty…. They longed to be dutiful in devotion, dutiful in obedience, dutiful in every responsibility and every role. They believed that from their duty would grow a deepening delight.” - Challies
Reposted from Rooted Thinking. (2020)
Bathe the children. Cook three square meals. Weed the garden. Repair the fence. Beat back the vines of the encroaching jungle. Unclog the outhouse. Patch the hole in the roof. Help the neighbors. Such was the life of missionary Mary Slessor. Far from the conveniences of her homeland, this Scottish woman found the mundane chores of daily life in Nigeria consuming her time. Is your life similarly filled with repetitive, mind-numbing tasks? Do you feel there is little value in the mundane?
There is a dynamic that each of us must learn by experience that has the power to transform our understanding of the Christian life. I call it the principle of the open hand.
I have tried to determine who first enunciated this concept. Apparently, it traces to Martin Luther, who stated: “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
“An AdelFi study conducted by Lifeway Research found that having a Christian worldview impacts the way young adults (ages 25-40) manage their money, which is most evident in that Christians give nearly three times as much money as non-Christians.” - C.Index
In 2013 I was pretty sure I’d never love my work, ever again. I’d served as a full time pastor since 2001, and though I kept some small side jobs going for fun and a little income, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else as a vocation and finding it satisfying.
Read Part 1.
Does self-care have any place in a pastor’s life? Viewed solely from a worldly perspective, it’s questionable. But through a biblical lens, self-care resembles the biblical concept of stewardship.
Discussion