Personal Growth

Are you facing a great loss? Perhaps a loved one or close friend has died. Great love brings great sorrow, and healthy sorrow recognizes the immensity of loss. But when death and loss come close, the temptation toward despair and hopelessness is often...

Do you ever get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach in anticipation of something you don't want to face? This sense of foreboding and apprehension is called dread. It could be about an upcoming life change, a conflict to resolve, a difficult...

Have you ever felt discouraged about praying? Sometimes it feels like there are more reasons not to pray than to pray. Discouraging circumstances that haven't changed, long-standing requests that haven't been given a yes, boring prayer meetings the list...

It's only natural to bristle when you are mistreated. Perhaps you were passed over for a well-deserved job promotion, hurt by a family member, falsely accused, or experienced a severe disappointment. An array of emotions—anger, frustration,...

Are your personal or relational problems overwhelming you, negatively impacting your daily life or relationships? While all of us face the common pressures of living in a broken world, sometimes those challenges become too much to handle alone, and they...

Would you like to take better care of your body but aren't sure what to do? Focusing on our souls doesn't mean we should neglect taking care of our bodies. But often we are so busy caring for others and keeping to our schedules that we think we can't...

We are used to having our parents help us, but how do we handle it when the tables are turned and our parents are the ones who need help? Declining health, financial needs, divorce, relational issues—what's an adult child's role when their parents...

If you have been in a dark or desperate place, you already know that the best kind of friend sits with your pain and listens. What does it take to be a compassionate, helping friend when those you love are struggling? A godly friend with a heart to...

Are you facing an unexpected financial crisis or anticipating the possibility of difficult times ahead? Financial problems happen for so many reasons, but right now the uncertainty of the future, coupled with unstable economic conditions, means that...

Caring for aging parents is complex and challenging even under the best of circumstances. How do we help them and remain sane when distance, dementia, depression, disaster, divorce, disintegrated relationships, deteriorating health, and discouragement...

Where is your marriage? Newly married, in a rut, coming off a major transition, or coming out of a period of crisis or conflict? Regardless of your situation, it's never too early—or too late, for that matter—to build habits that will...

It is difficult and sometimes frightening not to have the good opinion of others. No one likes to face the possibility of rejection, humiliation, or opposition. Yet, making our goal others' approval confines us to a small world where life consists of...

Where is God in all this? Does he really love me? Perhaps you are asking questions like these in the midst of tough situations that come your way. You want to trust God's plan for your life, but when hardship intrudes, it is often difficult to believe...

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, you might be feeling anger, discouragement, fear, or even panic. There are many reasons people struggle financially-job loss, unexpected expenses, poor decisions-but, whatever the reason, money troubles...

When life falls apart, we feel deep confusion. Our emotions may shatter no matter how strong we have been. Our minds fill with unanswered and painful questions like the following: "Why me?" "What did I do to deserve this?" "Is there any hope for my...

Is a personal God really involved in our suffering? And if he is, what in the world is he up to? Why would a good God allow suffering in his world? William P. Smith addresses these and other hard questions by reflecting on what the Bible teaches about...

Whether it's a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker, chances are you know someone who's gay. You want to respond well, but you're not sure how. How do you help and encourage other Christians struggling with same-sex attraction? How do you...

How many times have you tried to change a behavior only to find yourself doing the same thing again? Do these phrases sound familiar? "There I go again!" "I've had this struggle for years, and I just can't seem to win." "I do okay for awhile, but then I...

Someone you love is ill, your child is in trouble, financial problems mount, you lost your job, your spouse left youÐthe list of troubles we experience is both uniquely difficult and depressingly similar. In this world we will suffer, Jesus promised...

Sexual assault is an invasive event of traumatic evil. You were victimized, and now you are suffering. Whenever sexual abuse occurs, love is not part of the equation. Rather, the perpetrator uses power, domination, and control to injure innocent victims...