Tag Archive for: difficult relationships
ODJ: rabble babble
Many years ago I was counselling at a Christian camp when the programme staff began to struggle. Why? Some of the counsellors didn’t appreciate the way the director was leading, so they started to complain. As the complaints spread, more people joined in. By the end of the week the staff had become polarised and the whole camp had been affected by the tempestuous situation.
When we
When we
ODJ: my greatest enemy
A Christian leader was once asked: “Who is your greatest enemy?” He replied, “Every morning I see him in the mirror.” Perhaps that’s the real reason why some of us are facing challenges in our marriage, school, work or church. The person who’s giving us a hard time isn’t our spouse, our boss or someone else. We are our own worst enemy.
Today’s reading in Galatians 5 e
Today’s reading in Galatians 5 e
ODJ: clear of corruption
An advisor I recently consulted was highly recommended by a large, established Christian organisation. At first I had a positive experience with him as he helped me navigate the complicated immigration laws in Uganda. The second time around, however, the man literally took my money and ran. When I called the organisation that had referred him, a representative said, “He started out good but went
ODJ: redeeming love
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Go and love the person who has disappointed you!”? “Huh? No way. I don’t want to be hurt again!”? Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s difficult to love someone with a proven track record of disappointing you.
ODJ: if My people
I was speaking with three friends about the lamentable condition of our country, America. They mentioned the continued practice of abortion, the rise of homosexual marriage, and the debt crisis. One friend cited
2 Chronicles 7:14 and said that our nation’s problems will only be solved when our country turns to God. I said that would be difficult to pull off, as America believes in the separat
ODJ: content with contention?
With its uncomfortable chairs and tiled floors, the restaurant reflected the chill of the winter air. Having recently made the decision to take in foster children, my family sat waiting to meet a 7 year old girl who needed a home. She was accustomed to transient relationships and began calling my parents “Mum” and “Dad” at that first trial meeting. Filled with great optimism, we believed w
ODJ: dangerous concessions
In 1857 a few white members of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) in South Africa asked permission to celebrate the Lord’s Supper separately from their black brothers and sisters. The General Assembly believed their request was wrong, but acquiesced “due to the weakness of some”. This concession soon became the norm. And this racism prompted the unwanted black Christians to leave and start thei
ODJ: devoured
I’m sure you’ve heard your share of extreme weight loss plans. But ingesting a parasite? A newspaper has reported that some people in Hong Kong have resorted to using parasitic worms to peel off the pounds. The worms allow people to keep eating what they want and still shed weight. But the giant intestinal roundworms, which can grow up to 15 inches in length, lay up to 200,000 eggs a day. They
ODJ: counting the cost
Jesus’ good friend Lazarus had died (John 11:14,17). And so He performed an amazing miracle by raising Lazarus from the dead (vv.43-44)—leading many who came to the funeral to believe in Him (v.45). But the Pharisees and priests responded differently. From that time on, they began to plot Jesus’ death (v.53).
News of the spectacular miracle spread throughout the thousands of Jewish pilgri