Articles
What Does it Mean to Take Every Thought Captive?
The Bible instructs us to take every thought captive. It’s an essential part of Christian living that eludes many of us. But what does it mean to take thoughts captive, why does this matter, and how do we do this? Today we’ll break down each of these questions one by one and give you tips for handling anxiety in your thought life, according to the principles in God’s Word. Every day we have thousands of thoughts that run through our minds. When thoughts go unexamined, they can do a lot of harm. They can get out of control and cause negative [...]
Resentment in Relationships: What’s the Cure?
Resentment in relationships can have many different faces. Resentment is more than jealous feelings; it is bitter indignation that you are being treated unfairly. It is only seeing one side and feeling sincerely hurt to the point of letting it interfere with your relationship or feelings toward someone else. Resentment between friends might be intense envy when a best friend can have a child and the other is having a difficult time conceiving. It might be losing sight of being happy for them and becoming angry because they became pregnant on the first try while you have been trying for years. [...]
Depression in Men: Types, Causes, and Treatment Options
Acknowledging one’s own experience of depression (or any other mental health issue for that matter) can be difficult for many individuals. It requires one to be brutally honest and admit vulnerability. This can be particularly true for men, whom society expects to be strong, silent, and unmoved. Any admission of emotions or internal hardship is a sign of weakness to be avoided at all costs. Most men do not feel safe to come out and acknowledge their struggle with mental health issues, especially depression. Adding to the complexity, the emotional experience of “sadness” is not the most common manifestation of male [...]
Effective Listening: Tips for How to Be a Better Listener
Have you ever had a conversation with someone that left you feeling like you’ve disappeared? Become inaudible? When we get the sense that the people we care about aren’t really listening, the hurt cuts so deeply within us. We will never outgrow the need to have our feelings known. We have a yearning to be understood; to be seen, known, and accepted in a shared relationship. How do we then respond to this yearning in others as well as in ourselves? For many of us, learning to listen well and practice effective listening is something we do because we recognize the [...]
The Christian’s Guide to Self Improvement
It is all too human to experience seasons of life in which we find ourselves to be without, lacking some fine quality which we believe might bring us a greater caliber of life than the sub-par version we currently feel stuck in. At times, we look outward, seeking the good life in the accruement of things, wealth, and pleasures. Other times, we look into the mirror and rightly conclude that the lacking is not external, but internal. These are often the seasons in which our lives have begun to crumble to the fault of our own hands. We recognize we lack [...]
What is Christian Coaching and How Does it Help Me?
Think about the last sports game you watched. You undoubtedly saw a coach interacting with the players, helping them improve their skillset, answering questions, and strategizing plays. Many people understand what coaching is to sports. You might even have experience with executive coaching or business coaching and know what that looks like in the context of an organization or small business. Coaching in the context of life or marriage is really about taking individuals or couples from where they are now to where they desire to go. It’s a process for change that involves working towards the future by asking very [...]
Personal Growth is a Process: From Buds to Blossoms to Berries
The idea of personal growth and transformation as an ongoing process can seem daunting in contrast with the prevailing cultural trend toward instant gratification. Perhaps one of your first struggles toward fruition will be against this ingrained approach to life. There is plenty in our culture that seeps into our attitudes unconsciously to persuade us to expect instantaneous formation rather than steady progress for the things we want to change. We seem to forget that everyone is in a process of growth and change! Every thought we believe, every choice we make, every action we take, every emotion we allow to [...]
7 Tips for Healing After Infidelity
Adultery is one of the most painful experiences couples can endure. You need support and encouragement if you have recently learned that your spouse was unfaithful. A Christian counselor will walk alongside you with compassion and wisdom as you seek healing after infidelity. Healing after Infidelity Healing is possible after infidelity. Though you may feel swept up in a marital affair you did not ask for, you can heal with God’s help. These are the steps we recommend for healing from an affair. Consider inviting a Christian counselor to advise you on this healing journey. Pray Without Ceasing The most important [...]
Anger in the Bible: 19 Scriptures on Anger
In this article, we'll be considering various causes of anger followed by 19 Scriptures on anger in the Bible. Let's start with reasons people get angry. What makes you angry? Do you get upset when you’re stuck in traffic? When there is a miscommunication with your boss or spouse? Do you get angry when your kids are fighting amongst each other, or when a child gets a bad grade at school? Do you get angry when it is your turn to take out the trash or walk the dog, and you don’t feel like doing it at that time? Do you [...]