Theology – Page 14

July 30, 2023June 27, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

A Cloak for a Yoke

By Linda Tancs

A yoke is a type of harness fastened to the necks of two animals and attached to the vehicle that they are supposed to pull. That’s why they’re called beasts of burden. So it might be difficult to think in a positive way about Jesus wanting to relieve our burdens by inviting us to take His yoke upon us (Matthew 11:28-30). The key is not to think of it as a yoke, with all of its burdensome connotations. Think of it as a cloak. A cloak is a loose garment; it’s not heavy or burdensome. He wants us to exchange the weighty yoke for a cloak. Don’t weigh yourself down with the cares of this world. Cast them on Him.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Follow us on Twitter @moveonfaith and join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

July 23, 2023June 8, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

How Do You Do

By Linda Tancs

In bygone days, people would greet each other by saying, “How do you do?” It may be old-fashioned by today’s standards, but a new way of looking at it is to complete the sentence, as in “how do you do forgiveness?” Go ahead, fill in the blank. How do you do compassion? How do you do patience? How do you do perseverance? You get the point. So, how do you do?

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July 16, 2023June 5, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

A Thousand Agitations

By Linda Tancs

Bishop Fulton Sheen once referred to a disrupted soul as one suffering from “a thousand agitations.” Unlike a peace-filled soul, an agitated one is fearful, unhappy, disappointed, discouraged, you name it. Master your “thousand agitations” or else they will master you (Psalm 62:1).

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July 9, 2023May 30, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Adjust the Sails

By Linda Tancs

An old sailors’ expression reminds us that we can’t control the winds but we can adjust the sails. In other words, let go of the things you can’t control and focus on what you can control. You can’t control your employer’s mood, for instance, but you can control how you react to it. How do you need to adjust? Whatever it may be, trust and depend on God (Proverbs 3:5-6), be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) and walk in love (Galatians 5:13).

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July 2, 2023April 28, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Table Talk

By Linda Tancs

In Psalm 23:5, King David reflects on the fact that God will prepare a table for him in the presence of his enemies. And the king had a lot of enemies, even his own brothers, who belittled him. This passage is often contorted to suggest that those who belittle you will get a front-row seat to watch your success. But there’s a better way to look at it. It’s not so much a “haha” moment for you but rather an “aha” moment for those around you. They get to see and experience the outcome of your faith in the One Who did what He said He would do (Genesis 28:15).

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June 25, 2023April 26, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

To Be Fruitful

By Linda Tancs

Even the most casual Bible reader is probably aware of the phrase “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). Often applied as a reproduction edict, it applies just as much to one’s work. In a work sense, it’s often used as motivation to live your best life—to accomplish all you can, to be productive and multiply your resources. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it becomes problematic if you have an imbalanced focus on your achievements. Don’t be a sluggard (Proverbs 6:6-11), but also don’t let your work goals outweigh the work you need to do to further the Kingdom.

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June 18, 2023April 19, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Citizenship

By Linda Tancs

The citizenship process provides a nice analogy to our relationship with God and the Kingdom. In many countries, full citizenship is available following a period of being a resident alien. Spiritually speaking, we are all resident aliens on earth because our true citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20). As we await full citizenship, our role is to glorify God by fulfilling the purpose to which we have been called (Hebrews 11:10-16). And just think, in Heaven there’s no such thing as an expired passport!

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June 11, 2023May 30, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Labels

By Linda Tancs

Labeling someone is serious business. It happens everywhere: at a job interview, on the job, at a party, even in church. Think of the labels that you might have applied to someone: lazy, driven, pretty, ugly, compassionate, manipulative, insider, outsider and so on. Maybe some of those same labels have been applied to you. Remember the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) and avoid labeling, especially if it’s negative. Labels are for food, not for people.

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June 4, 2023April 17, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Patience

By Linda Tancs

Patience is defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset. The definition hints at the fact that it isn’t just about waiting; it’s how you act while you wait. How do you act when traffic comes to a stop and you’re in danger of being late to your destination? Or what about when a customer ahead of you in the “10 items or less” grocery line has more than 20 items? Or when a website takes several minutes to load? Patience is important enough to be enumerated as one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). What can you do to improve yours?

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May 28, 2023April 17, 2023 goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Let’s Get Loud

By Linda Tancs

The biblical power of the shout is undeniable. When the Israelites shouted, the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6:20). When Jesus returns with a shout, the dead in Christ will rise from their graves (1 Thessalonians 4:16). It’s a form of spiritual warfare as well as a form of praise and worship that is mentioned throughout the Bible (see, e.g., Psalm 33:3; Psalm 47:1; Psalm 66:1; Psalm 95:1; Revelation 19:1). So let’s get loud.

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