By Linda Tancs
You’ve probably seen news reports from time to time about a prominent person who attempts to escape some kind of conflict or liability by asking, “Do you know who I am?” That tactic often doesn’t work. More importantly, however, they’re missing the point. It isn’t about who they are but whose they are (2 Corinthians 5:21). God sees us as a reflection of His Son. Remember that if you feel the impulse to identify yourself by your notoriety, status or title.
By Linda Tancs
Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard believed that purity of heart is to will one thing. For the believer, that one thing is God Himself. Jesus speaks of purity in the Beatitudes as a single- hearted devotion (Matthew 5:8). That means bringing your desires, motives and longings into honest alignment with God. In other words, you value what God wants for you more than you value what you want for yourself. It’s not about motive. It’s about intention. What do you want?
By Linda Tancs
A popular poem called The Dash by Linda Ellis reminds us that all that separates birth and death is a dash (–). There are, of course, many dashes to consider in this regard. An em dash (—) is the longest dash, followed by the en dash (–) and then the hyphen (-), the shortest dash. Perhaps it’s fair to say that most folks would opt for an em dash. Indeed, the Bible treats long life as both a blessing from God and a general result of living wisely. For example, Scripture emphasizes honoring parents (Ephesians 6:2-3), pursuing wisdom (Proverbs 3:16) and trusting in God’s timing (Psalm 91:15-16) as pathways to a fulfilling and extended life. May your dash be a long one.
By Linda Tancs
A sermon once reflected on two kinds of loss: privative loss and negative loss. Privative loss relates to an absence, like a person or a career. Negative loss is grief over what wasn’t: the “if only” or the “I never got to.” We’ve all had our share of both losses, haven’t we? Sometimes, of course, they intersect: there’s grief over the loss of a person you wish you could’ve had a better relationship with. It’s complicated. Ask the Lord to help untie the knots.
By Linda Tancs
It’s that time of year again when students are embarking on or returning to university life. There will be required courses and optional courses as well as social activities that define the experience. It’s all part of university life. There’s another kind of university: the university of life. As evangelist Billy Graham once explained, there are three required courses in that university: life, death and judgment. Unlike an optional course, you can’t avoid it. How we live directly affects the quality of our death and the nature of our eternal rewards. A faith-centered life removes the terror of death (Philippians 1:21) and affects the nature of our eternal rewards (2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; Peter 5:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; and 1 Corinthians 9:24-25). Be a lifelong learner.
By Linda Tancs
Being “in control” of your life is an unattainable goal. It’s even worse if you’re a “control freak”–someone with an obsessive, powerful need to dictate situations, manage small details and influence the behavior of others. Just writing that triggers feelings of frustration and exhaustion. How controlling are you? Make the shift from self-reliance to God’s sovereignty. After all, control is often a coping mechanism triggered by underlying anxiety or a fear of uncertainty and vulnerability. Cast your cares (1 Peter 5:7).
By Linda Tancs
Joshua instructed the Israelites to choose whom they’d serve (Joshua 24:15). Today the same choice lay before us. As Jesus taught, you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). As one theologian put it, Jesus and Barabbas (the prisoner set free in lieu of Jesus during Passover) cannot both live within us. Barabbas represents worldliness, greed and any other unhealthy attachment. In all things, you have a choice: restraint or abandon. You restrain your inner Barabbas or you abandon the Lord. To whom do you give the victory? The choice is yours.
By Linda Tancs
Part of a long, climactic melody, “Carry That Weight” is a Beatles song at the end of the Abbey Road album. It was one to which Paul McCartney has said he felt the most emotionally attached, owing to the band’s impending breakup at the time. From a biblical perspective, we know we don’t have to “carry that weight” (Psalm 55:22). Indeed, as another song goes, what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. Leave the weights at the gym.
By Linda Tancs
A longtime ad campaign promoting education is entitled “The More You Know.” Knowledge is fundamental. It’s also limitless. As Albert Einstein once said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” The Bible’s Job felt the same way, reflecting on God’s limitless majesty in creation (Job 11:7-8). God’s understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:5). There’s much you don’t know, but enjoy the journey. Keep learning.
By Linda Tancs
Do you confuse guilt with shame? Guilt and shame are not the same. Guilt is what you feel for what you’ve done. Shame is how you feel about an aspect of yourself. In other words, guilt is your “do”; shame is your “who.” The key to overcoming either one is to draw nearer to God (Hebrews 10:22; Isaiah 61:7). It starts with confession. Own it, as they say, and then give it to Him (1 John 1:9).
