The Cause of our Quarrels

Most days I spend as a referee. I intervene in squabbles and arguments. I settle disputes. At times, I even prevent all-out wars. And on really bad days, I cast off my referee's striped garb and  jump into the ring myself, arguing right alongside my kids.

If you have children, it’s likely that you are a referee as well. You might have even resorted to wearing a whistle and pulling out penalty flags. Maybe you've thought to yourself, "What is going on around here?" and "Why is there so much conflict?"

The Idols of our Hearts

James speaks about the quarrels and fights we have in James 4:

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people!" (4:1-4)

What is the source of all our fights and quarrels, even those in our own homes? Our idolatry. We fight with one another because of the idols in our heart. This is true for our children as well...to read the rest of this post, visit For the Family, my writing home today.

Are You Listening?

"Mom. Mom. Mom!"

"What?" I responded.

"Were you even listening to me?" my son asked.

He touched my arm and I looked up from my phone.

No. I wasn't listening.

We all know what it is like to speak to someone and then realize they haven't heard a word we said. We can tell by their body language that they are thinking about something else or simply don't even care to listen. We also know what it is like to share our thoughts with someone only to have them interrupt us so they can speak their own mind.

James tells us, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19). Proverbs 29:20 says, "Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him." Jesus quoted Isaiah when he spoke of those who could not hear what he came to proclaim, "For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them" (Matthew 13:15).

Listening doesn't come naturally to any of us...to read the rest of this post, visit For the Family, my writing home today.  

Teaching Children a Biblical Worldview

We live in a constantly changing world. Morals, values, and even truth shifts on the shaky fault line of our culture. Whatever one feels in the moment is the deciding factor in determining what is right and good.

As believers living in such an environment it can be confusing, disconcerting, and even a bit frightening. And what about our children? How do we teach them right from wrong when there is no standard of truth in our world today? How do we provide them a steady foundation for life? How do we teach them how to make wise decisions amid all the competing voices and clamor of this world?

The answer is we give them a Biblical world view....to read the rest of this post, visit For the Family, my writing home today.