When we want to change – but find it difficult
Steve Midgley
“You always do that!” Their argument, and his response, was discouragingly familiar. The same critique, the same sulking withdrawal.
“Why do I always do that?” It had been a few months this time – she was beginning to think she had cracked it. But a couple of clicks and she was back in the mire. Her resolutions, once again, proved no match for the strength of her habit.
pastoral care
Is 'don't worry, God's in charge' really enough?
Steve Midgley
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” Some phrases trip off the tongue very easily, yet so often fail to deliver the reassurance we intend.
“Don’t worry, God’s in charge” is a closely related Christian alternative. God is, of course, in charge. But how often those words fail to speak to anxious ears.
pastoral care
What is the most underrated quality in the Christian life?
Steve Midgley
Of the many qualities worthy of note in the Christian life, surely one of the most underrated must be perseverance.
Perseverance isn’t showy. It’s not a quality to raise the temperature or quicken the pulse. Perseverance is one of those things that just presses on in the background. New things get noticed. Exciting fresh initiatives draw praise. But perseverance? It’s a quality that only seems to get noticed when it disappears.