Topic > Relationships
Reason to Smile
In the workplace, words of encouragement matter. How employees talk to one another has a bearing on customer satisfaction, company profits, and co-worker appreciation. Studies show that members of the most effective work groups give one another six times more affirmation than disapproval, disagreement, or sarcasm. Least productive teams tend to use almost three negative comments for every helpful word.
Paul learned by experience about the value of words in shaping relationships and outcomes. Before meeting Christ on the road to Damascus, his words and actions terrorized followers of Jesus. But by the time he wrote his letter to the Thessalonians,…
Beware of Criticizing Others
Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding.
“He is the God of what is left.”
Where do you turn when you’ve been knocked down so many times you don’t think you can possibly get back up again? Pam describes how she finally surrendered, then found herself lifted up in a way she never thought possible. A resource just for you: Hymns for the Christian Life music DVD by The Gettys. […]
Less-than-perfect friends are also loved by God
Today on Discover the Word, we are back in the book of Job as we close in on the end of the series called “Job and Jesus.” And they’re talking about Job’s, well, less-than-perfect friends. But even they were part of God’s plan, and they are greatly loved by God. Listen today on Discover the Word!
The story of Jesus found in the book of Job
Today on Discover the Word, we start the second week of a fascinating series titled, “Job and Jesus.” Join the group to find the story the whole Bible is telling—the story of Jesus—is found even in the ancient story of Job. Listen to Discover the Word today!
Should I Download A Dating App?
I still remember the day my best friend and I were hanging out, complaining about dating and boys and life in general, when we decided we were going to do it: download a dating app.
Someone to Trust
“I just can’t trust anyone,” my friend said through tears. “Every time I do, they hurt me.” Her story angered me—an ex-boyfriend, whom she really thought she could trust, had started spreading rumors about her as soon as they broke up. Struggling to trust again after a pain-filled childhood, this betrayal seemed just one more confirmation that people could not be trusted.
I struggled to find words that would comfort. One thing I could not say was that she was wrong about how hard it is to find someone to fully trust, that most people are completely kind and trustworthy. Her…
Trolling the Masters
Today, with a single click, you can freely access and rate some of the best music ever written. So how do the masters fare?
I Kissed Dating a Non-Christian Goodbye
“I don’t understand why we can break up over something that I cannot understand . . . I cannot believe you chose your God over me!” Those were his final words to me.
Burned Out And Guilty At Work
In March 2017, I had a burnout. It came five months after I moved from my hometown in Central Java to the capital city of Jakarta to work as an area manager in a food and beverage company.
Expect and Extend Mercy
When I complained that a friend’s choices were leading her deeper into sin and how her actions affected me, the woman I prayed with weekly placed her hand over mine. “Let’s pray for all of us.”
I frowned. “All of us?”
“Yes,” she said. “Aren’t you the one who always says Jesus sets our standard of holiness, so we shouldn’t compare our sins to the sins of others?”
“That truth hurts a little,” I said, “but you’re right. My judgmental attitude and spiritual pride are no better or worse than her sins.”
“And by talking about your friend, we’re gossiping. So —-”
“We’re sinning.” I…
Bubbles
Sarah sometimes wonders if she only believes in Jesus because she’s surrounded by family and friends who also do. She asked, “Am I a Christian because it’s true or because I live in a Christian bubble?”
Being a True Friend
Poet Samuel Foss wrote, “Let me live by the side of the road and be a friend to man” (“The House by the Side of the Road”). That’s what I want to be—a friend of people. I want to stand by the way, waiting for weary travelers. To look for those who have been battered and wronged by others, who carry the burden of a wounded and disillusioned heart. To nourish and refresh them with an encouraging word and send them on their way. I may not be able to “fix” them or their problems, but I can leave them with…
5 Humbling Lessons I’ve Learned As a New Mom
As I’m writing this article, my 3½-month-old baby is stretching in her rocker and “talking” to herself. It amazes me how much she has grown in these past months—from a wrinkly, frowning newborn to a chubby, still frowning baby.
Forgiven Debt
John Oliver, the host of HBO’s popular TV show Last Week Tonight, made the news when he forgave fifteen million dollars in debt. He did this to show the unsavory nature of buying debt and collecting on it. He purchased the massive debt at the price of just $.004 for every dollar. Because he owned the debt, Oliver had the legal right to collect it. Instead, he generously abolished it.
