Month: February 2022

empathy

Do You Show Christlike Empathy?

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Empathy is one of the most valuable qualities of a disciple of Jesus. Empathy goes to the very heart of Christianity. The supreme act of empathy was the incarnation. God chose to identify with us, put himself “in our shoes”, by becoming a human. He became what we were so we could become the full image of what he is. He did this by choosing to experience the same troubles, pain and suffering that we do. Even more, he allowed himself to be crucified to take the responsibility for our sins. If God is willing to be that empathetic for us shouldn’t we become known for our empathy for others? Empathy means training ourselves to stop our thoughts about ourselves and focus on where the other is coming from. It means being willing to consider the challenges and pain the other has faced or is facing. Or maybe just making Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Our Blessings From Following the Testimonies of God – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,who seek him with their whole heart, Psalms 119:2 (ESV) The “testimonies” in this verse refers to the truths that Yahweh has established through his actions with his people. For example, the truths that God is all-powerful and delivers his people based on his deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. This is Yahweh’s testimony and one who keeps this testimony is one who lives according to the truths that God established by this and all the other interactions that Yahweh has had with his people. We are blessed when we keep God’s testimonies, established through his Son and his Apostles. Jesus showed us how to live through his life and death, and his Apostles followed in his footsteps. Paul said “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, ESV). Thus, we are to imitate the “testimonies” we see in the Continue Reading →

Are You Fulfilling Your Responsibility to Admonish Others?

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Scripture instructs us to do something we do not like to do: admonish our brothers and sisters. Admonish means to warn or correct someone. Galatians 6:1 instructs us: “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path” (NLT). Colossians 3:16 states: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” (ESV). Paul said to the Ephesians that he “did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears” (Acts 20:31, ESV). He also told the Colossians: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28, ESV). (See also 1 Thess. 5:12, 14; 2 Thess. 3:15.) Considering the biblical passages about admonishing others, we need to take advantage of opportunities to Continue Reading →