Tomorrow, many will enjoy the feast of the year. A day they have looked forward to all week. Being invited where there is more food than they have seen in a long time. Carefully “biting their tongue” if you will, to stick to saying good things, avoiding negativity. Yet, others will be all alone, saying, “What is so good about about this day.

The year has not been very good to some. They have walked through the shadow of death, and felt noting but evil, no comfort at all. There seemed to be no one who cared. The very people who were supposed to make life easy, were the ones who were causing their grief.  

Scripture says, Asaph was a worship leader and prophet in the time of King David (1 Chronicles 6:31–32, 39), but he almost lost his faith in God. Bitterness and envy over what seemed to be an unfair situation led him to a spiritual crisis.

Though he saw God’s faithfulness to some. Asaph struggled to understand why it seemed that wicked people were so prosperous and healthy. As the psalm continues, it becomes clear that these are somewhat exaggerated complaints, but they reflect a concern many Christians have felt, and still do.

Job chapter 21 parallels many of the same themes as this Psalm. Few emotions are as frustrating as experiencing hardship while seeing those who we think “deserve” to suffer, escaping similar troubles (Psalm 73:1–3).

The psalm depicts Godless people as free of pain, well fed, and trouble free. Books such as Proverbs make it clear that sin does indeed come with consequences (Proverbs 9:13–18). In the heat of the moment, however, a suffering believer can feel as if wicked people have nothing to worry about, at all.

Even worse, for those who honor God, is how wicked people ridicule and mock believers. This modern era is overflowing with examples of faithful Christians being slandered, taunted, insulted, and sneered at by those who think they are above God.

For some believers, they renounce their former beliefs. They claim that honoring God and obeying His Word is a waste of time. Worse, they claim it’s a hindrance to their lives (Psalm 73:10–14).

But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. This is a promise of trust, not necessarily that every material desire will be instantly fulfilled, but that God will provide what is truly needed (Matthew 6:33).

Thanksgiving can and should be expressed by praising Him. Oh! give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His love endures forever (Psalms 107:1). I was once young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread (Psalm 37:25).

Everyone forgets at times and might let someone down. But if we are constantly doing so, we need to check ourselves. It is important to have someone in our lives that we have given permission to be totally honest with us without recourse.   

Christians are to be speakers of truth, and to speak this truth with love (Ephesians 4:15). We are to “do our best to present ourselves to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

But sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between being wise about our trust and being overly self-protective out of past fear or hurt. If we find ourselves reluctant to trust anyone to any extent, we are wise to ask God to heal our wounded hearts.

The Bible gives advice about trusting others after we’ve been hurt. Trusting God is the first, important step. When we know that, no matter what men do to us, God will always be there, faithful and true, it is easier to handle betrayal or disappointments. Psalm 118:6 says, “The Lord is on my side, I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Reading God’s Word with attention to the ways He describes His own faithfulness and trustworthiness will be helpful to us. Prayer is vital. Particularly if we feel like God has betrayed our trust by allowing us to be hurt, we need to be reminded of His truth and comforted by His love.

If a person repeatedly betrays our trust unrepentantly, we do not have to continue to associate with her/him or her to make ourselves vulnerable to them. Yet we also should not harbor bitter ness or allow that person’s actions to hinder our relationships with other people (Hebrews 12:14–15).

Trusting others is not always natural or easy. We are wise to take time to get to know others and not readily give them our complete trust. Such trustworthiness has to be empowered by the Holy Spirit at work in the believer’s life (2 Corinthians 3:18).

As we learn to trust others, we should continually strive to be trustworthy ourselves. We should be a safe place for others (Proverbs 3:29) and keep confidences (Proverbs 11:13). We should be known for our honesty (Proverbs 12:22) and a willingness to suffer with a friend Proverbs 17:17).

The deadliest sins are not the headlining ones, but those quietly destroying the soul from the inside out. Proverbs 6 says that stirring up strife is something God hates. That is talk under the disguise as policies, gossip, drama, and dividing behavior that tears families, and communities apart.

Can you imagine what it must have been like during the Civil War, when a mother had sons with different ideologies, one being a pacifist, one for the North, and one for the South, each thinking that what they were doing was right? History is repeating itself.

From the serpent’s dishonesty in the Garden of Eden to Proverbs’ prohibitions, lying is described as something God abhors. Deceit shatters relationships and destroys community, whether it is a so-called little “white lie” or a deliberate lie.

The first commandment forbids other gods, but modern idolatry also disguises itself as career obsession, technological reliance, or even exaggerating relationships. As noted by some thinkers, “Nothing on this earth was designed to satisfy our hearts. Only God can fulfill “

It is not sinful to have good things, but to place them in an ultimate position is. To be re-centered by worship, Scripture, and prayer keeps God in His rightful place and channels blessings into thankfulness for His goodness.

These sins are not outdated rules they are reflections of the tendencies of the human heart. To know them is to start; to fight against them requires humility, faith, and daily reliance upon the grace of God.

The Bible’s warnings are surpassed by its promises: no matter the struggle, God has the power to win and the joy of living His way.

For Christians who desire to live out their faith, understanding these sins is not fear-mongering, it’s illumination. They all have spiritual weight that can lead someone away from God’s presence and plan. The better news: God’s Word gives not only warning, but clear, grace-filled means of resisting and overcoming them. 

Being a peacemaker means listening carefully, and taking intentional steps to heal broken fences. Togetherness should be the default state.  These aren’t relics of outdated morality; they’re living, breathing concerns that pop up in meetings, social media feeds, and even at the dinner table.

Looking forward, there should be a new paradigm. Admitting when in the wrong, engaging in truth-telling, and making honesty a fundamental aspect of one’s self restores trust and mirrors the God who describes Himself as “the Truth.”

Complicity is a criminal law doctrine where a person can be held responsible for a crime committed by another. It involves intentionally assisting, soliciting, or encouraging the commissions of a crime, making the accomplice liable to the same extent as the person who physically committed the act.  

The concept of complicity in the Bible refers to the act of being involved with others in wrongdoing or sin, either through direct participation or passive consent. Below are examples of complicity in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Achan’s disobedience in taking forbidden items during the conquest of Jericho led to Israel’s defeat at Ai. Everything was supposed to be destroyed. Although the sin was committed by one man, the entire community suffered (Joshua 7).

Eli, the high priest, failed to restrain his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who were corrupt and abused their priestly positions. Eli’s passive complicity in their sins resulted in divine judgment upon his household (1 Samuel 2:12-17,22-25).

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, found no fault in Jesus but succumbed to the pressure of the crowd (group think), washing his hands as a symbolic gesture of innocence. Despite his attempt to distance himself, Pilate’s complicity in the crucifixion of Christ is clear (Matthew 27:24-26).

The Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian church for tolerating immorality among its members. Not just picking one kind of sin and ignoring others. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He instructed them to expel the offender to prevent the spread of sin within the congregation.

This account, underscores the responsibility of church leaders to confront and correct wrongdoing. We are our brother’s and our sister’s keeper. Believers are called to uphold righteousness and justice, even when it requires standing against prevailing cultural or societal norms.

These directives emphasize the need for the church to actively address concerns and avoid complicity through inaction. (1 Corinthians 5:1-13). I believe the church has a responsibility to speak to its members about hurts in the community that they have the power to correct. Especially if they say they are believers, following Christ.

Moreover, the church is tasked with maintaining purity and holiness among its members. This involves confronting sin and exercising discipline when necessary. Complicity in sin, and wrong doing undermines the church’s witness and hinders its mission to reflect Christ’s holiness to the world.

From the time of Saul/ Paul’s conversion until his martyrdom, every move he made was aimed at advancing the knowledge, gospel, and church of Jesus Christ. Paul’s singular aim was to bring glory to Jesus.

“To live is Christ” means that we proclaim the gospel of Christ. Paul preached in synagogues; he preached as a prisoner, he preached as an apostle, and he preached as a tentmaker. His message was always the same: “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

In this message the apostle Paul is saying that everything he has tried to be, everything he is, and everything he looked forward to being, pointed to Jesus Christ.

He brought the message of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to prisoners, kings, soldiers, politicians, priests, and philosophers, Jews and Gentiles, men and women. He did not force it, but would literally preach to anyone who would listen. In a language that they could understand.

“To live is Christ” means that we imitate the example of Christ. Everything that Jesus did and said, that’s what Paul wanted to do and speak. Followers benefitted from his godly example: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

The Christianity lifestyle is characterized by several key aspects, if you already call yourself a Christian.  If you are wondering what you should be doing in this strife we call life, it should be, what would Jesus do?

Faith: It is centered on faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation, emphasizing that true faith is not achieved through works but through divine grace.

Sensitivity to Sin: Christians are encouraged to have a strong sensitivity to sin and to confess it, reflecting their commitment to God.

Living a Life of Service: Believers are called to live a life that reflects Jesus Christ, avoiding worldly influences and striving to embody the teachings of Jesus.

Prayer and Study: Engaging in prayer and diligent reading of the Scriptures is essential for understanding and growing in faith. Not to inflate your narrative.

Repentance and Confession: A Christian’s life is marked by a willingness to repent and seek forgiveness, demonstrating a genuine relationship with God. You become a “New Creature.”

These elements together define what it means to be and live a Christian life. Thus, reflecting the core beliefs practiced by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother/sister, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother/sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20).

To “ignore the noise” means to disregard distractions, irrelevant opinions, and negativity to stay focused on your true goals and what should truly matter. Identifying what is important (the signal) and actively tuning out things that derail you, whether it’s the thoughts of others, the constant barrage of information from social media, or the inevitable setbacks in any plan.

It is a mindset essential for progress, requiring the ability to filter out distractions and channel energy toward productive action and achieving desired outcomes. Thus, staying focused, and creating a distraction-free environment.   

Interruptions, both external and self-inflicted, are no longer the exception; they’ve become our default mode, says Zelana Montminy, a positive psychologist and the author of Finding Focus: Own Your Attention in an Age of Distraction. “We’ve trained our brain to need and want interruptions,” she says. “It’s almost like we’re addicted to distractedness.”

It isn’t accidental. Our devices are engineered to exploit this vulnerability. I have watched parents allow their children to spend hours on tablets, until they passed out. I have also seen adults pushing a stroller with one hand and the other one on their smart phone. No interaction at all with the child.

Many of us believe we’re adept at juggling interruptions, but research tells a different story, according to Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity.

“Think of your mind as a whiteboard,” she says. “Each task or topic you focus on is like writing on that whiteboard. When you multitask, you’re constantly erasing and rewriting different information.”

All of that switching comes at a cost. Studies show that multitasking leads to longer completion times, more errors, and increased stress. “Your executive function, your brain’s CEO, gets fatigued,” says Mark. “And it struggles to filter out distractions or make decisions, leaving you even more susceptible to interruptions.”

The story in Luke 10:1-23 describes what should be central to our identity. When the seventy-two people Jesus sent out to tell others about the kingdom of God returned from their journeys, they reported to Him that “even the demons submit to us in your name” (v17).

While Jesus acknowledged that He’d equipped them with tremendous power and protection, He said that they were focused on the wrong thing. He insisted that their cause for rejoicing should be because their “names are written in heaven” (v20).

Not how much power and influence they swayed.

No man or woman is an island. I among others have probably repeated this phrase a hundred times, not knowing that there is more to it. It comes from the 1624 prose work Devotions upon Emergent Occasions by the English poet and clergyman John Donne.  

“No man is an island, entire of itself; everyman is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. Therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

Broken down, Donne argues that no human is truly isolated. Instead, everyone is connected to the greater whole of humanity, like our individual body parts are connected. We can only live in the absence of a few parts. Is that why he made us with two kidneys, so we can share?

The latter part, “Bell Tolls” refers to the church bell, which historically signaled death. His point is that a person’s death affects everyone and we should not try to remain detached from such events. An event that affects us all. If we can help it, no one should be left to die alone.

The Bible does not directly contain the exact phrase “no man is an island,” but the concept is strongly supported by biblical teachings. “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself” (Romans 14:7).

We are better together than we are alone. “Two are better than one, if either falls down, one can help the other up. And if two lie down together, they will keep warm.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).               

But with companions, we give and receive help. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. We are better together as God leads us. Before I go outside to work, and any other time I am alone, I ask God to be with me, and all those around me. When I forget, I notice a difference.