Far too many Christians are held hostage by emotional strongholds such as anger, depression, discouragement, frustration, inferiority complexes, fear and countless other volatile feelings. People who are in emotional strongholds usually know it. When they wake up in the morning they don’t say, “Good morning, Lord.” Rather, they say, “Lord, it’s morning.” They struggle simply to survive, often living in a perpetual state of hopelessness, worry or depression.
One of the most overlooked strongholds in America today is that of eating. Often, it is not even viewed as a stronghold. In fact, in Christian circles, we will frequently condemn the alcoholic, the drug addict, or the porn addict, all the while excusing the food addict. However, eating strongholds dominate a large percentage of the population to such a degree that a majority of our health problems stem from this root.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are all members of His body. That means we are vitally connected to each other. Eye to hand. Brain to toe. Lungs to heart. A healthy human body functions because it has a communication system. Now think about your marriage. Jesus said that when a man and woman are joined in matrimony, “they are no longer two, but one flesh” (Matthew 19:6). That means to survive and thrive, you need to communicate with each other. Too many couples think good communication will “just happen.” But it takes work, b...
I enjoy a good game of basketball. I’m unstoppable…when I play alone. When there’s no opposition, I can make any play and hit any shot. But some years ago, I had an opportunity to go one-on-one with a star member of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. Suddenly, I wasn’t playing so well! But that’s the way the game of basketball is designed to be played. Having to face an opponent and learn how to cooperate with teammates to overcome the opposition should make me a better player, not a poorer one.
Did you know that God never commanded wives to love their husbands? Certainly, God expects such love. Paul told Titus that older women should “encourage the young women to love their husbands” (Titus 2:4). But God’s basic command is for wives to respect their husbands. There’s no denying that men have strong egos…with a great need for recognition. Just as women have a need to be loved, men have a need to be respected. That is why Peter tells wives not to use their tongues to turn disobedient husbands around, but rather to use ...