Posts Tagged ‘relationships’
Faithful or Zealous?
The modern Orthodox experience in America is complex with both longstanding members born into the Church coexisting with pious converts who have chosen Orthodoxy as their religion. Neither is more important than the other since both are members of the Body of Christ. Yet there appears to be a battle for the ‘soul’ of the…
Read MoreLoyalty and Betrayal
We all have that one person that we would go to the end of the earth for, until they betray us. Every relationship hangs on the verge of loyalty and betrayal, and the smallest issue can tilt the balance out of our favor. Today’s loyal companion is tomorrow’s enemy. I say this today not in…
Read MoreHow Much Love?
Nobody likes to think they are cold without love for others. Everyone likes to think their love is exemplary. Others should take notes of the way they love. If you don’t think so, you are the problem. You are just jealous because they don’t love you. Sound familiar? At that time, one of the Pharisees…
Read MoreCounterculture of Love
You hear it all the time. We’re supposed to be counterculture as Christians. We’re not supposed to be like the world. Yet, we spend most of our time being ‘just like’ the world when it comes to our personal relationships. Brethren, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we…
Read MoreEpisode 461 – Become Children of God
It is only natural that we become our parents. When God calls us to become children of God, it isn’t so natural. In the Gospel of Luke we hear, “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” The human way is to love those who love us back. To become children…
Read MoreThe Face of Opposition
Imagine walking into work every morning and being face-to-face with your opponent, someone who was just waiting for the chance to betray you. He plans this in secret, all the while smiling and telling you how great you are. What would you do if you already knew who it was? Most of us would plan…
Read MoreBearing Fruit
I enjoy gardening as a hobby. I admit I am not the greatest gardener, but I love spending time in my garden. I love watching things grow. I love eating the fruit of my garden. The only problem is, I don’t get much fruit because I am not a good gardener. I have a few…
Read MoreEating or Fasting
As Orthodox Christians living in a secular world, fasting takes on an additional burden. It is easy to fast when we cook for ourselves, but when others are doing the cooking, things get a bit sticky. When the ‘others’ are not Orthodox, fasting sometimes becomes optional. Now, you must understand that I would never characterize…
Read MorePleasing to God
It can be difficult going through life always trying to please other people. Most of our time is spent trying to please those in authority. Our boss at work, our teacher in school, even our spouse, are all the object of our devotion to please them. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t good either. At…
Read MoreEpisode 459 – Climbing to Heaven Together
When we think of making our way up to heaven, we must first descend into our hearts. We must stop looking down on others as not being worthy. Christ descended to our level to show us the way to heaven. He came down to lift us up with Him. Our job is to get down…
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