Saturday, July 6, 2024

Laudable Linkage

By Barbara Harper on July 6, 2024

Here's my latest round of good blogging links:

Why Can't an Unbeliever's Good Works Please God? HT to Challies. "But when people find it difficult to grasp why God doesn't accept their good deeds, I like to offer a few illustrations to help them better understand their standing with God and the nature of the good works. One illustration I like to use involves an estranged neighbor and my front lawn."

Read the Bible a Lot, HT to Knowable Word. "One sure sign that someone hasn't read their Bible for very long, is that they are arrogant. That might seem surprising, but it is almost universally true that someone who has spent a little time in God's word always seems to have the answer for any situation."

Taking a Hard Look, HT to Challies. Commenting on Paul's telling people to imitate him in Philippians 3:17: "It's not that I think Paul's being arrogant. He's not saying, 'You don't need to imitate Jesus; just imitate me.' He's imitating Jesus, so if they imitating him, they are imitating Jesus. This passage makes me twitchy because how can you possibly feel comfortable telling people to imitate you? But Paul did. So why don't I?" Very convicting!

Beauty Is Found In the Most Unexpected Places, HT to Challies. "The stars shine brightest against the blackened sky. Oak trees gain their stability and strength by enduring fierce storms. Pearls are found hidden within the depths of the sea. Diamonds are formed under intense pressure and heat under the earth's crust. In God's world, beauty is often found in the most unexpected places. And our faith often deepens and flourishes when everything is against us."

Dear Little One, HT to Challies. This is a sweet letter from an aunt to her toddler nephew. It echoes what many parents and grandparent feel.

Made to Rest, HT to Challies. "Two kinds of rest—physical and spiritual — are critical for human flourishing and survival. We often conflate the two, but they are very different." This is probably one of the best explanations of spiritual rest that I have read.

Why Did the Purity Movement Die? I don't agree with every detail or characterization here, but overall the article shares many reasons why a movement that meant well ultimately died out.

Learning to Embrace the Counsel of Godly Older Women. "I've realized just how much my heart craves this kind of input—input that is quite priceless and rare today. From my study of Scripture, I've gained a deep conviction that I long for it because we're supposed to have teaching from godly older women. Their counsel increases our wisdom and discernment—when we're willing to heed it."

Completely Unsolicited, Totally Anecdotal, But Perhaps Marginally Helpful Thoughts on Being a Christian Writer, HT to Challies. "For better or worse, I have a unique angle on this conversation. I've spent the last 7 years in the Christian publishing industry. Last year I published my first trade book. And the whole time, I've been as active as I know how to be in Christian shortform, maintaining a blog/newsletter for several years and writing articles for a variety of other places. This doesn't make me wise, just experienced. So what I'd like to do in this post is offer a fistful of thoughts on the craft and business of Christian writing."