Psychologists spend an enormous amount of energy building psychological tests, assessments, and the like, and then administering them to people to help them understand themselves. This practice is very helpful in many settings, from work, to education, to couples and individuals. Insight into...
Any good confrontation takes into account that two people are involved. This sounds obvious, but it really isn’t, and it is an essential part of an effective boundary conversation.
One reason you have a problem in the first place is that you and the person you want to confront are not of...
Sometimes we struggle to ask for help. You may be the person everyone runs to for help, or maybe you feel like you would be a burden to someone. Let’s talk about the ways that make it ok for us to seek help from others.
Here are a few of the reasons asking is helpful for us:
- When we ask,...
Marriage is intended by God as a union of two complete persons. It is only when two mature and whole individuals come together in marriage that their union will be complete. Marriage is not designed to be a shortcut to maturity, a way of completing yourself. Rather, God designed marriage as a way...
The Bible often warns us to avoid toxic people, or at least their toxic behavior. God wants us to be very careful to stay clear of people who can destroy the life that he desires to create for us. Listen to the way that King David put it:
The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to...
Many Christians misunderstand grace, even those who are helping people grow. Usually people think that grace means forgiveness or the absence of condemnation. And the God of grace is the one who forgives. But while forgiveness is an expression of the grace of God, grace is much bigger than just...
“No matter how many times I read that I'm forgiven, I just don't feel it," Stephen said. "I know the Bible tells me God accepts me. I know it in my head, but I can't feel it in my heart."
"What have you tried to do to change that?" I asked.
"Well, I've tried memorizing verses and...
Many times, the pain that we drag into new situations is the pain of failure from the past. If you are feeling guilty or ashamed of things that you have done, you can have difficulty going into new relationships or situations because you feel "bad" or "unworthy." To tackle life with gusto, we...
No one wants to suffer, and it’s natural to want to avoid pain and discomfort. Yet, if you’re seeking to grow, normalizing suffering will facilitate the growth process in your personal development.
Let’s start by understanding how suffering actually helps with growth. Although...
You may be familiar with the story of Job -- his suffering was not the result of some sin he had done; in fact, he suffered because he was doing such a good job in life. God pointed Job out as an example of righteousness (Job 1:8), and then God allowed him to suffer for his purposes (see...
A new group for divorced singles was opening up at Megan’s church, so she decided to join. On the first night there, she shared a story about the issues with her husband.
“He was an addict, and I made excuses for his behavior all the time. I didn’t want to believe things were that bad, so I...
I got an emergency call, and the office relayed to me that I had a suicidal client. I called Theresa on the phone. She was distraught.
“Tell me what happened,” I said.
“It’s not going to work,” Theresa replied, sobbing.
“What isn’t going to work?”
...
