Monthly Archives: July 2020

Think for a moment about the different emotions you often experience in a day: happiness, fear, anxiety, anticipation, hope, envy, desire, love, contentment, pride, guilt, jealousy, anger, joy, sadness, surprise; you may even have a few others to add to this list. Consider how you express these emotions, and how others see these emotions affecting …

Continue reading “65704 4. The Impact of Our Emotions”

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul explained that God has given the church various skilled people to help it grow up—like evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Because of their ministry, he reminded the Ephesians: Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind …

Continue reading “65705 5. Embracing the Truth”

The person who progresses steadily from childhood into adulthood, and experiences peace along the way, learns to shift gradually and quite normally with the situations of life. Sometimes, however, a person will meet rebuffs, disappointments, failure, or tragedy with a variety of behaviors that are not only childish, but real deterrents to experiencing peace. Regressive …

Continue reading “65706 6. Behaviors That Stand in the Way of Your Peace”

The body, host to the mind, can influence its invisible partner. I was reminded of this when traveling with a missionary friend in Africa. During our trip, he was stricken with malaria. Over several days, this normally articulate individual was frequently delirious. At such times it was impossible for me to discuss anything of a …

Continue reading “65707 7. Mind and Body”

There is a reason why so many people are unhappy, why there is so much conflict between individuals. Isaiah pinpointed the trouble long ago: “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6). We like our own ideas, plans, aspirations, and longings. Thus, when we …

Continue reading “65708 8. There IS Hope”

How do you achieve and maintain true peace? Must you be at the mercy of your circumstances? Is it inevitable that a chance meeting can plunge you into the depths of despair? Eric was a happy, successful man—he thought. Then by meeting someone he hadn’t seen for twelve years he was, as if by magic, …

Continue reading “65709 9. The Responsibility Is Yours”

Once you have accepted responsibility for your life, you will be tempted to backtrack, to again lay the blame for your ups and downs, your troubles and defeats at someone else’s door. But don’t become discouraged here—or misled. Temptation is something you hold in common with all people. And it too is something you must …

Continue reading “65710 10. Help for a Hard Journey”