Above all else

God wants to give us direction. What are some of the ways in which we can discern his direction? a. the Bible b. the Holy Spirit c. counsel of godly leaders/mentors/friends The Bible is our first guide (Ps 119:105). It is clear on many specific things that are non-contextual and non-negotiable e.g. do not steal, do not murder etc. Sometimes the instructions are more principle-based rather than specific e.g. honour your parents, love your neighbour. For these matters, there's not much argument - in a situation where you are faced with the decision to steal/not steal, there is no need to "pray about it" (a favourite refrain among Christians). But on many matters, the Bible does not contain specific instructions e.g. all other things being equal, whether we should work in job A or job B, or whether we should study subject X or subject Y. On such occasions, the Holy Spirit can sometimes be very clear (Isa 30:21). The Holy Spirit is our counsellor. Sometimes He speaks very cle...

Some thoughts about forgiveness. I received a short booklet on this topic in the mail this week, and I thought it was particularly relevant to some things going on in my life at the moment. (a) Sometimes it's not forgiveness, but understanding. (b) Forgiveness should be humble, not self-righteous; restorative, not punitive. (c) Forgiveness only counts when its tough. Forgiveness is only relevant when the matter concerns something unequivocal. It's not applicable when we simply disagree with one another - sometimes we have different points of view, and then what is needed is understanding, not forgiveness. I think it's easy to forget this. People have expectations of one another, and sometimes we fail each other. It seems like we need to forgive the person who has not met our expectations, but actually what is needed is for us to understand that person better. It might be an expectation of gratefulness, or of companionship, or even material needs. If someone fails to live up...