#gary thomas

Contempt is conceived with expectations; respect is conceived with expressions of gratitude. We can choose which one we will obsess over — expectations, or thanksgivings. That choice will result in a birth — and the child will be named either contempt or respect.

In a healthy Christian life, prayer and ministry go hand in hand. As we build intimacy with God in prayer, He communicates His love for us, but He also gives us our marching orders. In this way, prayer feeds our sense of mission and renews the urgency behind that mission. Likewise, Christian work—whether it is evangelism, administration, teaching, discipleship, or something else—reminds us of our need for God’s strength and thus drives us further into prayer.

Si quieres estar libre para servir a Jesús, no cabe duda, quédate soltero. El matrimonio consume mucho tiempo. Pero si quieres ser más como Jesús, no puedo imaginar algo mejor que casarse. Estar casado te obliga a enfrentar asuntos de tu carácter que jamás tendrías que encarar estando soltero.

A holy person isn’t known by what he or she does or doesn’t watch, by avoiding a few forbidden words, or by attending a frequent number of religious meetings, but by how he or she treats fellow sinners. Our experiential holiness is defined in large part by our ability to gracefully bear the lack of holiness in others.

Children are our heart’s mirror. How we interact with them truly does reveal what we value most about life.