There is no simple theological answer to pain; the answer is a relationship with God in the midst of pain. Those who need things in neat little black-and-white packages cannot tolerate such a faith.
God has built emotions into our personalities for a reason: they are a signal. Much like a barometer measures atmospheric pressure, emotions work as a gauge to tell us the state of our soul.
Getting to the next level always requires ending something, leaving it behind, and moving on. Growth demands that we move on. Without the ability to end things, people stay stuck, never becoming who they are meant to be, never accomplishing all that their talents and abilities should afford them.
In the end, as a leader, you are always going to get a combination of two things: what you create and what you allow.
Everything has seasons, and we have to be able to recognize when something’s time has passed and be able to move into the next season. Everything that is alive requires pruning as well, which is a great metaphor for endings.
A good test of a relationship is how a person responds to the word ‘no.’ Love respects ‘no,’ control does not.
The human heart will seek to be known, understood, and connected with above all else. If you do not connect, the ones you care about will find someone who will.
The sad thing is that many of us come to Christ because we are sinners, and then spend the rest of our lives trying to pretend that we are not!
We all make mistakes, but the people who thrive from their mistakes are the successful ones.
Leadership is not taken, it is given. People give leadership to those that they trust. They allow people that they trust to have influence over their lives.
Consequences give us the pain that motivates us to change.
The fool tries to adjust the truth so he does not have to adjust to it.
You will not grow without attempting to do things you are unable to do.
There is a difference between solitude and isolation. One is connected and one isn’t. Solitude replenishes, isolation diminishes.
Endings are a part of life, and we are actually wired to execute them. But because of trauma, developmental failures, and other reasons, we shy away from the steps that could open up whole new worlds of development and growth.
Be Hard on the issue, Soft on the person.
For someone’s character to grow, it has to be free from internal attack. Falling down never stopped children from developing. But getting yelled at, criticized, and put down can stop them for life.
Boundaries are basically about providing structure, and structure is essential in building anything that thrives.
The mature person meets the demands of life, while the immature person demands that life meet her demands.
If you want to become healthy, you have to surround yourself with a group of people that are getting healthy, and you have to be connected to a community that is doing what you want to do.