Constructive Criticism

"Criticism," said Ralph Waldo Emerson, "should not be querulous and wasting, all knife and root-puller, but guiding, instructive, inspiring--a ...

Too Self-Centered to Do Christ's Will?

If I really wanted only Christ's will (as I claim), then when you remind me in front of a nominating committee that I never get things in on time, ...

God Shapes Our Pain

Pain is only intolerable when seen in a distorted light. But when we know it is the hand of a loving God that shapes it all, and that it is our Father ...

Better for Bending

While lunching at a friend's house, I had to borrow a spoon and have her bend it so it could be inserted in my hand splint and I could feed myself. ...

A Voice from the Window

Jawanza Kunjufu, in his book, Restoring the Village, writes:

When I was a 14-year-old high school freshman, school was dismissed early for a teachers' ...

Where Would We Be Without Pain?

Pain can serve a definite purpose in our lives. Dr. Paul Brand of Carville, Louisiana, one of the world's foremost experts on leprosy, describes how ...

No Loose Strings

We must face the fact that many today are notoriously careless in their living. This attitude finds its way into the church. We have liberty, we have ...

Gentle Criticism

When you find it necessary to criticize another's work, these words by John Wanamaker should prove valuable: "Whatever you have to say to people ...

Moral Indifference

The current popular notion that judging others is in itself a sin leads to such inappropriate maxims as 'I'm okay and you're okay.' It ...

Correction vs. Criticism

Expecting the precise scalpel of correction, we can get the blunt ax of criticism.