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Though we should be wise when sharing personal stories, the example of the Apostle Paul and his colleagues encourages us to tell the truth about our failures and God’s amazing grace.

The parable of Jesus we know as “The Prodigal Son” could actually be called “The Prodigal Father.”

One of the things I love about the Bible is its realistic portrayal of its heroes. We see them in their glory and in their shortcomings. They both inspire us and model for us behavior that we ought to avoid. The realism of Scripture underscores its trustworthiness even as it teaches how we ought and ought not to live.

Early in my Christian experience, I thought that the Apostle Paul intended me to retreat from the world to spend all my time focusing on my interior life of prayer... Thankfully, the apostolic command to “pray continually” isn’t primarily about developing our devotional prayer life, even though that is important. It has much more to do with learning to pray our everyday life, particularly in the context of our work, where prayer may be the last thing on our minds.

Jesus invites us to examine ourselves honestly, to explore our true desires. What do you seek most of all? Wealth? Pleasure? Happiness? Fame? Though God made the goodness of this world to be enjoyed, we find ultimate meaning and delight when we seek first God and God’s kingdom.

If I may be honest, as a leader, I struggle with leading by faith. I don’t always mind the faith trials that are just between God and me. At least in these scenarios, my losses are directly tied to personal calculations that I was willing to absorb—I knew what I was getting into. Leading by faith can feel overwhelming because the decisions we make in faith have very real impacts on the people who follow us.

Written by Susie Lipps. Categories include De Pree Journal.

Constant work not only exhausts us, but it exhausts the world around us. It is consumptive. When we choose to build in rhythms of rest and delight, we give those around us and the earth itself a break from our demands.