As Christians, we are called to help and serve others, especially those with the greatest need. As we do so, not all efforts achieve the results that we would hope. To fulfill our calling, it’s essential to evaluate (and re-evaluate) how our mercy ministries function, and then change our approach accordingly. To assist in this process, consider this article by Christianity Today that rates the impact of various mercy ministries: Cost-Effective Compassion: The 10 Most Popular Strategies for Helping the Poor By evaluating the effectiveness of a ministry, we can ensure that we doing what is most helpful, not merely…
Our family dog is a strange conglomerate of beagle, basset, and boxer.She is a beautiful dog of snow white, with a few perfectly placed brown spots. She is lean, muscular, and smart. I wouldn’t know, but she is probably pretty “cool” in the dog world. You might think that she spends her days sleeping, and when not sleeping, hunting in the yard for squirrels. Yet, while that is partly true, the boxer in her comes through the most. Taking her for a walk, for instance, is an incredibly difficult task. She pulls and pulls, with her 40 lbs. of muscle,…
I am deeply concerned about a trend in some Christian circles to glorify suffering, as if suffering is somehow a good thing. Over the past few months, I have heard that suffering should not only be anticipated, but gladly accepted because of its benefits. Of course, this is not exactly a “recent” trend, but one that can be traced back to Catholics in the Middle Ages. To this, I would like to offer an important clarification. First of all, there is nothing good in suffering itself. God does not delight in the suffering of a person being killed, nor did…