There is no category for Jesus.
And that’s the problem.

I’ve come across a few people lately who don’t believe that Jesus was God (the Son).
It makes me think they are not reading the Bible.
I’m not talking about the obvious passages where He is referred to as a deity.
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)
I’m not even talking about those parts where He does only the kinds of things God can do, such as walk on water or multiply fish and bread.
I’m talking about His personality.

I’m talking about who He actually is when you watch Him move through the world.

Singular.
Completely and constantly misunderstood then and now.
And the kind of person I’d like to be, but never will be this side of heaven.
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own…” (Philippians 3:12)
I’m talking about the fact that He did not care what people thought about Him, though He wasn’t detached or cold.

He never tried to win the room.

He never adjusted Himself to stay liked.

He never protected Himself at the expense of truth.

“I do not receive glory from people.” (John 5:41)
I’m talking about the fact that He only ever did what was true and right in the moment.
“I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.” (John 8:28)
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:34)
I’m talking about His utter holiness.
“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22)
I’m talking about how He was tortured and hung on the cross saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
I’m talking about the way it says that He,
…though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:6-8 ESV)

Emptied Himself. 

This is not normal. It’s not the world’s way. It’s not my way, but I want it to be. 

So utterly focused on His Father and what He was there to do and who He was there to love and forgive. 

There are a million things we could say about being disciples of this God Man, but to follow Him in this is really all there is. 

So here are 5 easy steps to emptying yourself like Jesus. 

Just kidding, these are all incredibly difficult, but in trying anyway, we move in a Godward direction, which is the point. 

There are no steps to becoming like Jesus.
But there are ways to move in His direction.

1. Stop managing your image
Decide, ahead of time, that the approval of people is not your goal.
“If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
This shows up in small moments. What you say. What you don’t say. Whether you correct something or let it stand.
Jesus was free because He was not curating Himself.

2. Tell the truth in the moment you see it
Not harshly (with yourself or anyone else). Just honestly.
“Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
He didn’t wait for the perfect setting. He didn’t soften truth to protect Himself.
He lived aligned with reality at all times.

3. Surrender the outcome before you act
The outcome of the truth is the right outcome.
“Not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Most of our self-protection is outcome control.
Jesus obeyed knowing the result would go His Father’s way.

4. Love: Move toward people instead of away from them
Especially the ones who cost you something.
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Emptying yourself is not withdrawal. It’s presence and it’s costly.
It is choosing love when it would be easier to stay distant.

5. Give up your right to keep score
Release the need to be repaid, recognized, or vindicated.
“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return.” (1 Peter 2:23)
“Father, forgive them…” (Luke 23:34)
This is the deepest.
This is where you could truly start to become like Him.

None of this is natural. None of it is efficient. None of it is how the world works.
Which is exactly the point.

But there’s a real question here.

But Why? 

Why should we be like Him?
Why was it good that He was like He was?
Why not just be a little more guarded, a little more strategic, a little more like everyone else?

What looks like loss in Jesus is life.
What looks like weakness is strength.
What looks like emptiness is fullness.
What looks like weakness is actually strength.
What looks like emptiness is actually fullness.

“Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)
We spend most of our lives trying to hold ourselves together.
Jesus does the opposite.
And He is the most alive person who ever lived.
Life. 
He is not showing us an extreme version of humanity.
He is revealing the nature of God.
Self-giving.
Unafraid.
Full of truth and mercy at the same time.
“God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

So when Jesus empties Himself, He is not acting out of character.
He is showing you what ultimate reality is like.
Because this is what you were created for.
There is a reason something in you wants this, even as another part of you resists it.
You were designed for it.
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29)

This is not about becoming less yourself.
It is about becoming your true self.
The self that does not need to grasp or prove anything. 
The self that is free to love.
Because this is where freedom actually is
We think freedom is getting what we want.
Jesus shows that freedom is not needing to protect yourself at all.
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Free from the need for approval.
Free from fear.
Free from the constant pressure to prove you belong here. 
You don’t belong here. You belong where He is.

And furthermore! 
This is how the world changes.
Jesus did not change the world by controlling it. He changed it by giving Himself.
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
The world is full of people trying to win.
Very few are willing to love like this.
So what now?
This is not a call to try harder.
It is a call to look at Him long enough that you begin to trust Him.
“And we all… beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
You become like what you behold.
So look at Him.
Watch how He moves.
Watch how He speaks.
Watch what He refuses to grasp.

And then, in one small moment today, let go of something you’ve been holding too tightly.

A Christian Considers Two Jungian Ideas 

Carl Jung, occultist though he may be, interests me.
His idea of shadow gives me an angle to consider the sin nature.
Shadow work gives me a way to think about confession.
I won’t explain it all here, but Jung believed that integrating the shadow leads to wholeness.
That sounds an awful lot like confession and repentance.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
So skip Jung and confess your sins. 
But there’s another Jungian idea that makes sense.
Personas.
If I understand him correctly, we develop different versions of ourselves for different situations.
Different faces for different rooms.
It makes sense.
For everyone but Jesus.
Jesus had an image problem
In fact, the Pharisees said as much in their backhanded flattery:
“Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances…” (Mark 12:14)
The Greek is even sharper.
You do not “look at faces.”
You don’t adjust yourself based on who is in front of you.
You don’t read the room and become what it wants.
Jesus didn’t manage impressions.
He did not shift personas.
He didn’t perform.
“I do not receive glory from people.” (John 5:41)
He was the same person in every room.
Before crowds.
Before sinners.
Before Pharisees.
Before Pilate.
That is not normal.
But, what if I want to follow the Master. Should I learn this?
Can I learn it? Am I capable?
Only by His Spirit.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Only by following His example to die so we can live.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross…” (Matthew 16:24)

What do you do to take up your cross and follow in His steps? May we discuss it in the comments?

Jeff

IndieChristianBook.com | ChristianGhostwriting.com | Godspeed-church.com

We’re in the basement.

Just as we were heading off for Good Friday services at church, all our phones went crazy and the town sirens fired up.

This is not a test. Take shelter.

Now we’re in the basement waiting for it to pass. Service has been postponed.
Shelter…

Shelter in place…

Take shelter…

You do not debate a warning like that. You grab your kids and animals and move downstairs, even though outside it doesn’t seem like the wind is blowing at all.

Shelter.

The Hebrew word (one of them, at least) is machseh.

It’s not a casual word. Not a metaphor you use when life is easy.

It means refuge. The place you run when something is actually coming for you.

Scripture says God is that.

Not an idea. Not an inspiration.

A place.

There is another word. seter.

The hidden place.

Not just protected, but covered and held somewhere the storm cannot reach.

And underneath both of those is an image that shows up again and again.

Rock.

Something that does not move when everything else does.

Tonight, the town told us to take shelter, and we did.

We did not argue. We did not hesitate. We didn’t try to stand out in it and prove something.

We went down and took cover.

Good Friday says the same thing.
Not about weather.

About judgment. About sin. About death. About everything we cannot outrun or outthink or outwork.

Take shelter.

And then it tells us where.

Not in our strength.

Not in our goodness.

Not in our control, but in a special place.

In Christ.

The cross is not just where forgiveness happens.

It is where we go.

It is our machseh.

Our refuge.

Our shelter.

Tonight, the sirens told us to take shelter.

Good Friday tells us where it is found.

I could have called my blog, “Christian” since a Biblical Human is simply a Christian.
A Christian follows Jesus, believes He is God’s Son, that is, God the Son, and He died for us having taken us into Him, sins and all, and hung on a cross to die a death that destroyed death.
And He rose again, authenticating that death-destroying death.
A Christian discovers this and repents from sin and seeks to follow Jesus as King and embody the ways of His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
By the power of His Holy Spirit give to us.
But of course, “Christian” is a loaded term that will mean many things to many people.
So I call what I am a Biblical Human.
One that follows Jesus and uses the Bible to understand Him.
“Human” because that’s what “I am.”
“Biblical” because that and the reality of creation is all I have to know God.
How do you define being a Christian?

Thanks for waiting.
I paused Biblical Human a few weeks ago to see what it would be like not to write it.
I continued to publish my Newsletter for Christian Writers on Tuesdays, but I missed thinking more broadly about what it means to live on earth as a Christian—in a body, with a job, in a family, among neighbors, inside a complicated world.
So, without fanfare, it’s back.
Launching out again, I thought I’d write a brief and high-level manifesto—a definition of sorts—of what it means to me to be a biblical human. This way you will know what to expect in the near future from this blog.
A Biblical Human Is…

• Someone who chooses to live—and takes their life seriously
   
• Someone who loves God, not from duty, but from desire
   
• Someone who stewards their body, mind, spirit, work, wealth, relationships, and influence
   
• Someone who lives with clarity and intention
   
• Someone who values joy as a real spiritual indicator
   
• Someone who is honest, not just about what they believe, but about how they’re doing
   
• Someone who respects themselves and others as image-bearers of God
   
• Someone who grows, repents, builds, forgives, contributes, and keeps showing up
   
• Someone who lives in light of eternity, but doesn’t try to escape today
   
• Someone who lives whole, not fragmented—rooted in Scripture, connected to reality, open to the Spirit
   

I can and will come up with 100 more, but that’s it for now.
This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about integration.
It’s about becoming the kind of person whose life invites trust, whose work produces value, and whose faith touches down in every corner of existence.
That’s what I’m trying to become.
That’s what this space is about.
“…that the man [or woman] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
— 2 Timothy 3:17

More soon.
Thanks for being here,
Jeff

Anger In The Psalms. Am I Supposed To Get Angry?
I don’t know anything about emotions, except that I should probably hide them, or try not to have them.
This is true about me and, I think, totally wrong.
I’m not here today to tell you how to be. We’re just talking. I wouldn’t dare pretend to be a guide on this one, just a traveler.
I think it is probably a big problem that I have, and I’m grateful the resistance to emotions hasn’t manifested some big problem in my life. Thank you, God.
The one I’m most afraid of (Hey! An emotion!) is anger. I don’t want to be angry. My version of Jesus never gets angry.
Even his outburst in the temple was controlled, I say.
But that’s probably not the case. He was probably expressing a real feeling, but that scares me.
It scares me because deep down I believe that if I were to express anger I’d leave the whole world in rubble, and I don’t really want to do that.
But I think that is a lie from the devil. I don’t know for sure, but I think it is.
Since I am not an authority on this, let’s go to the only true authority, God. I’m drawn to the Psalms for answers.
Maybe I've been reading the Bible wrong my whole life.
I think holiness means emotional control.
Spiritual maturity means never raising your voice, never clenching your fists, never wanting to break stuff.
But David, the one God chose, the one who wrote most of our worship songs - this man prayed things that would get you kicked out of church.
"O God, break the teeth in their mouths" (Psalm 58:6)
Not "God, please change their hearts." Not "Help me forgive them, Lord." Just straight-up: Break. Their. Teeth.
And it gets worse. Or better. I don't know.
In Psalm 109, David goes on for verse after verse, asking God to:

• Make his enemy's children orphans
• Make his wife a widow
• Let his family line be cut off
• Have no one show them kindness
• Let creditors seize everything he owns

Twenty verses of pure, unleashed fury. In Scripture. In the songs we're supposed to sing.
I'm starting to wonder if my fear of anger is actually more dangerous than anger itself.
There. I’ve let you in. Whatchu think about all this? What’s your opinion? What has God taught you about feeling stuff? I’d like to know.
 
Jeff B. Miller

I am a future oriented person.

This serves me well in some areas. It means I save money, don't eat too much, do some exercise-the kind that won't wear me out in old age.
I think constantly about what I'm building and where I'm going.
This is my wiring.
Anything I do for the present is driven by an emotional impulse.
This is not good, but it's also normal.
I'm intentionally living my days in light of my future, but those days are punctuated by some unconscious behavior.
The reason I say it's not good is that the things I do on impulse are not usually the best and wisest things I could be doing.
It also means that the only time I'm present, I'm not that present.
Does this make sense to you? If you're like me you understand the paradox. When I'm planning, I'm conscious. When I'm not planning, I'm not paying attention…or intention.
I'll spend three hours mapping out next year's church or business strategy. Then I'll eat half a pizza because I'm "taking a break."
I'll calculate compound interest on my retirement savings. Then I'll buy something stupid on Amazon at 11 PM.
The present only gets my attention when my emotions override my plans.
This creates a weird split. My future self is wise, disciplined, strategic. My present self is a toddler with a credit card.
I'm either building tomorrow or sabotaging today. There's no middle ground.
The thing is, every future is built from present moments. If I'm only conscious when I'm planning, and only unconscious when I'm living, what am I actually building?
It's like being an architect who draws perfect blueprints but gets drunk every time he picks up a hammer.
The present isn't the enemy of the future. It's the only material we have to work with.
But I treat it like an interruption.
My solution to this problem is remembering that all life is is living.
These could be our best days. Right now. And we might miss all of it. I’m a Christian. I know our best days are after this life has passed. And yet, I sense that those days will be even better if we get good at living this days in Christ.
I've written about prospection and I stand by it. Yes, imagine the future. Yes, pull it into the present by removing from your life what doesn't belong to the future you. Cut out the behaviors, habits, and commitments that don't align with where you're going.
But then what?
Then the fun begins. The fun of actually living a moment.
I don't mean to sound woo woo. But we Christians are eternal beings. We're destined for an eternal existence. Think about that. Would you want to spend eternity planning? Eternity thinking about what's next?
At some point—and that point is now—we have to live.
Not unconsciously. Not by emotional impulse. But by decision.
The decision to enjoy this moment in the presence of God.
God who was, is, and is to come. He's not just the God of tomorrow. He's the God of right now. This breath. This second.
When I remember this, something shifts. The present becomes intentional without becoming heavy. I can be here, fully here, without abandoning wisdom or throwing hammers through windows.
I can eat a meal and taste it. I can have a conversation and hear it. I can take a walk and feel it.
Not because I'm taking a break from real life. But because this is real life.
The future will come. It always does. But it will come to someone who knows how to be here when it arrives.
Here’s something to think on:
James 4:13-15: "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"
Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Matthew 6:34: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Revelation 1:8: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
Ephesians 5:15-16: "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
Colossians 3:17: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Proverbs 16:9: "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."
Luke 12:20-21: "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13: "I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God."

Or: Why your obedience to write might be someone else's breakthrough
I want to share something I've witnessed dozens of times in my work with Christian authors.
I've sat on Zoom with dozens of people who have powerful testimonies of God's faithfulness through unimaginable circumstances.
One woman comes to mind. After sharing her story of brutal trauma and redemption, she looked at me with tears forming and said, 
"I feel like God keeps nudging me to write about it, but I don’t know if anyone would want to read it. I don’t know if it’s worth writing.”
Without thinking, I asked her a question that seemed to come straight from the Holy Spirit: "What if your obedience to write is the breakthrough someone else has been praying for?"
Those words landed. Not with the thud of burden, but with the light of clarity.
Maybe you need to hear that too.
Your story—that testimony, that lesson, that hard-won wisdom—it was never just for you.
The outcome of truth is always the right outcome. And your truth might be the key that unlocks someone else's prison.
3 Signs Your Story Is Meant to Be Shared
1. It won't leave you alone. When a message keeps showing up in your prayer time, your quiet moments, even your dreams—that's not coincidence. That's calling. God doesn't plant seeds He doesn't intend to grow.
2. You've spoken it, and it's touched hearts. If you've shared parts of your story and watched people lean in—if they've said "I needed to hear that" or "you should write a book"—that's confirmation, not flattery. God's already using your words.
3. You feel both drawn to write it and afraid to start. That tension is holy ground. The enemy only sets up resistance around things that matter. The more important the message, the stronger the spiritual pushback.
If you're nodding right now, I want to personally invite you to join the Kingdom Author Challenge—a free 5-day journey to help you start the book God has placed on your heart.
We begin Monday, June 2nd. There's no cost. No pressure. Just community, coaching, and clarity on the message that's burning in your spirit.
[Click here to register now]
Remember, someone out there is waiting for the words only you can write. Don't keep them waiting too long.
—Jeff

Future Self
I like Dr. Benjamin Hardy and his books. I especially like the books he wrote with Dan Sullivan. One of them, Be Your Future Self Now is powerful, especially when you think of it through the lens of the Gospel.
Hardy uses the term prospection to discuss the human tendency to think about the future and attempt to predict it.
The problem is that we are usually wrong.
His evidence is that 10 years ago, you could not have predicted the self and life you are now.
You can see the past fairly clearly, but the future, not so much.
It doesn't stop us from trying, and usually predicting wrong stuff that is harmful to our actual future.
If you tend to worry, then you are prospecting.
And your prospection is causing some of your future, and it is certainly affecting your quality of life.
Hardy's point: Why not be intentional about it?
Most people, he says, just don't have imagination.
Develop imagination regarding your self and circumstances.
Then………
Pull your future self, and in some cases, circumstances, on in to the present!
It's about identity. You identify with the future self you have prospected and you become him or her much faster.
Wow! This is powerful.
But it is even more powerful when you look at the same process through the amazing and wonderful Christian lens.
Living the Christian life is all about identity.
We get a new identity in Christ when we believe and receive His free gift of:
Life eternal!
Life abundant!
Adoption as sons and daughters of God!
We should all be doing really great all the time in light of this.
But we aren't all doing really great all the time, because we don't know how to prospect our future selves.
We have the right to be in Christ. To be new creations. "Children of God, for that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1)
But we live in the past instead.
Or in a present defined by the past! No, no, no! We mustn't!
Because, what a waste!
God has given us the right to look into who we'll be when Christ returns and "we see Him as He is..." (1 John 3:2), when the Trumpet sounds and we are changed "in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:52)!
We look into that future and pull that future self into the present.
This takes imagination, even though it's totally true. Why? Because we were wired to look at the past, but not to be fortune tellers. We just don't know how to actually predict the future because we've never experienced it.
So what would it take to fire up your imagination for this very real image of the future you?
Journaling? Daydreaming?
How often? Daily? 3 times, 4 times, 10 times a day?
Try it now. See yourself as God sees you. Prospect.
Don't feel bad that it's difficult. Use your God-given imagination to prospect into Christlikeness. It's your birthright.
 
 
 
 

This week there was an article about an abusive church in my city. All of those who spoke about it were people who left long before the pastor got to the level of bullying that he is at now.
I know many first-hand accounts of those who left recently under incredible circumstances, and they were (likely) afraid to say anything about it. They have been carefully trained to believe:
"Divisiveness in a church is a cardinal sin."
"Saying anything bad about a church leader is grumbling and gossip."
"Only bad people rebel."
That is what we're all taught.
And so, good people stay in churches and ministries where they are routinely abused, say nothing, and allow wolves to keep eating sheep.
This is B.S.
If Christians aren't going to call out the Church, who should do it?
Grumbling, gossip, and slander are bad.
But telling the truth about a church and a church leadership that is misrepresenting Jesus and all the rest of us is not only good, but crucially important. The world is watching.
How does it look when the courts discover what the church has known for decades? Not good.
Church leaders (like myself) need to know that we will be held accountable for every decision made and word uttered. That's just how it is.
If you don't want to be judged, stay out of ministry.
"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." — James 3:1
"Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?...Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand." — Ezekiel 34:2,10
"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck..." — Matthew 18:6
I could go on, because the Bible does.
The fact is, I've made many mistakes myself for which I still have to repent when I find out how I once hurt someone with a stupid decision or a word that sprang from my immaturity and errors in my theology.
I need to hear it when someone has a grievance against me.
I hope that if you are on the fence about calling out an unworthy shepherd, you won't be afraid to speak out.
There is no authority on earth who can hold church leadership accountable other than the sheep. Sure, denominational leaders can help, but more often they are not on the side of the sheep.
If church leaders won't give power to their members to keep them accountable, they intend to abuse them.
If church bylaws only protect the leadership, they intend to abuse.
Oh, by the way, I started that abusive churchand then laid hands on the guy who would cause so much harm. I know I am answering and will continue to answer for that.

"Come on, Christmas. Hurry up."
I heard this a lot when I was a kid.
Walking somewhere behind a grownup who was in charge of me and in more of a hurry than I was.
Later, in an Air Force cargo warehouse, I learned to walk around fast with a clipboard to look busy, even if I wasn't actually going anywhere particular.
Later still, I learned to go places as fast as possible. The world had finally taught me what it wanted me to learn. Hurry up, be impatient, get there and don't stop until you do.
Now that I'm getting old(er), I enjoy the excuse to slow down again (because, hey, old people are slow! Right?)
And when you think about it, why not?
What's the point of hurrying when God's in charge anyway?
And furthermore, hurrying is how I miss what God is actually doing.
Every Christian, at this point, will say, "I know, I know. I should slow down."
And they won't.
Mostly, we just don't believe it's okay. We don't believe we could run our life on slow.
But I could never be so productive, if I didn't go really slow through life.
I have friends who think I do a lot. The only time it feels like I do a lot is when I fail to slow down, surrender to God, and respond to Him.
When I do that, I accomplish far more than my hurried self ever could. Not because I'm working faster, but because I'm connected to the Source of my calling. The tasks that matter rise to the surface. The distractions fall away.
By refusing to rush, I've found a productivity that doesn't deplete but replenishes. The challenge isn't learning how to slow down. It's trusting that when we do, we're not falling behind—we're finally moving in rhythm with the one who created time in the first place.
The Biblical Wisdom of Naval Ravikant
One of my favorite non-believing thinkers is Naval Ravikant. Though he's not a Christian, he seems to have lived into some biblical wisdom. In his pursuit of meaning, he's stumbled upon truths that Scripture has been teaching for millennia that pertains to our topic this week.
"Impatience with actions, patience with results," Naval advises. This echoes James 5:7-8. "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth." God's timeline often works at a different pace than our anxious rushing. ”Impatience with actions” simply means, once you know what to do, do it, but don’t get hurried, and don’t think you can rush results that only work in God’s timing.
Naval also reminds us to "Slow down, life is long." Ecclesiastes already told us "the race is not to the swift." Hurrying doesn't guarantee success.
When our hurry exists, because we are trying to frenetically earn the money to afford an ever expanding lifestyle, Naval reminds us that, "People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can't fathom"
Jesus said the same: "One's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."
What Naval found through reflection, Scripture has taught for thousands of years. Believers receive these truths as revelation. When I slow down I'm aligning with God’s rhythm that governs all creation.
How Does Surrender Fit in Naval's "Biblical Non-Christian" Philosophy?
Naval Ravikant’s secular philosophy ultimately arrives at surrender—a core biblical concept—though through a completely different path.
Naval speaks of acceptance as the ultimate mental freedom: "The phrase that I probably use the most to myself in my head is just one word: accept." This mirrors Philippians 4:11, where Paul writes about being content in all circumstances.
Naval frames surrender practically, saying, "Just focus on the one or two really really important things, and everything else, just surrender to it. Just take it as it comes." He sees surrender not as weakness but as strategic wisdom. Only by letting go of control in most areas can we truly focus on what matters.
For Naval, surrender creates space for presence. "The fewer desires I can have, the more I can accept the current state of things, the less my mind is moving," he observes. This echoes Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."
Where Naval approaches surrender as a philosophical choice for mental freedom, Christianity frames it as relationship. We surrender not just for our benefit, but because we trust the One to whom we surrender.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5 ESV)

Naval discovered that attachment to outcomes creates suffering: "Desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want." Jesus taught this too when he warned about anxiety in Matthew 6: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?"
The difference? Naval's surrender is horizontal—acceptance of what is. Christian surrender is both horizontal and vertical—accepting reality while trusting God with outcomes.
All truth is God’s truth, so maybe it’s not that remarkable that these different paths converge on the same paradoxical truth: only by surrendering control do we find the freedom we seek.
The world won't tell you to slow down. It won't encourage surrender. But the Kingdom of God has always been upside-down to the world's way of thinking. But even in the world, the truth is the truth is the truth.
Doing more starts with doing less. Sometimes to move forward, be still. Sometimes surrender is the greatest victory.
— Jeff
P.S. Are you a writer? I have something for you in June if you’ve always wanted to write a book. It’s free, but will cost you an hour and half for 5 days. I’ll tell you more in a couple of weeks!
 
Works Cited
Jorgenson, Eric. "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant." Naval, 15 Sept. 2020, https://www.navalmanack.com/
Ravikant, Naval. "Impatience with actions, patience with results." Twitter, 18 June 2018, https://twitter.com/naval/status/1008533213919133697
Ravikant, Naval. "People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can't fathom." Twitter https://twitter.com/naval/status/846774878195757057
Sloww. "Naval Ravikant: 15 Timeless Thoughts & 50 Naval Quotes." Sloww, 8 Mar. 2022, https://www.sloww.co/naval-ravikant/

This week, Shane Parrish from The Knowledge Project Podcast talked about Henry Singleton of Teledyne, saying,

He compared all options against each other. “I won’t pay 15 times earnings,” he said. “That would mean I’d only be making a return of 6 or 7 percent. I can do that in T-bills.” Every capital allocation decision was measured against alternatives.

This is quite a powerful way to think about…everything.
Life is a constant series of trades.
Every choice we make — every “yes” we give — is also a “no” to something else.
The wise don’t just ask, “Is this good?”
They ask, “Is this better than my other options?”
Singleton knew: Every allocation of resources — time, money, energy — should be measured against the alternatives.
That’s not just wise investing. It’s biblical living.
Opportunity cost isn’t just a business concept — it’s a deeply spiritual one.
The Bible constantly invites us to compare — not just accept whatever option is in front of us.
Jesus himself framed life in terms of opportunity cost:

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”

(Mark 8:36)

In other words:
You could win everything you think you want… and still lose what matters most.
Throughout Scripture, God constantly framed the lives of His people in the language of choices and costs:

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”

(Deuteronomy 30:19)

God doesn’t simply ask His people to obey — He teaches them to recognize the stakes.
Every decision is a crossroads:
Life or death. Blessing or curse. Wisdom or foolishness.
In fact, every decision we are making is a decision between life and death. At least, it’s on a spectrum of life and death.
I’ve been writing about this since beginning this newsletter. It’s all about life and death. A good choice based on your true values is a move towards life, and a poor choice is poor because it is a move towards death.
Biblical thinking means:

• Measuring options not just by surface appeal, but by their true return.
   
• Asking: “If I give my heart to this — what am I giving up?”
   
• Remembering that every “yes” is also a “no” to something else.
   

Biblical Examples of Opportunity Cost Thinking:
1. Mary vs. Martha (Luke 10:38–42)

• Martha was busy with “many things” — good things!
   
• Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet.
   
• Jesus said Mary had “chosen the better portion,” and it would not be taken from her.
   
• Opportunity Cost: Martha’s busyness cost her the chance to be with Jesus. Mary chose life.
   

2. The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17–27)

• He wanted eternal life but wasn’t willing to give up his wealth.
   
• He chose earthly treasure over heavenly treasure.
   
• Opportunity Cost: He walked away from life itself, clinging to possessions.
   

3. Paul’s Life Reorientation (Philippians 3:7–8)

• Paul counted all his earthly achievements as “dung” compared to knowing Christ.
   
• He realized that holding onto reputation and status would cost him intimacy with Christ.
   
• Opportunity Cost: He chose the greater treasure. He chose life.
   

What if we thought more biblically about opportunity cost in everyday life?

• Every hour spent mindlessly scrolling is an hour not spent growing, loving, or serving. It is dying.
   
• Every dollar spent feeding our ego is a dollar not invested in the Kingdom, but in our death.
   
• Every decision to pursue comfort might be a decision not to pursue calling, which is a key component of life.
   

Biblical humans are wise stewards who think beyond the immediate, and ask:
“What’s the real trade happening here?”
And the stakes are higher than we realize.
In the small daily choices, as well as the big life decisions, we are always choosing:
Life or death. Blessing or curse. Growth or decline.
You can live your life on autopilot, saying yes to whatever is loudest…
Or you can live intentionally, choosing “the better portion,” like Mary did.
Jesus invites us to think like investors of the soul:
To allocate our lives toward the highest return — Him.
Every decision is an investment.
Choose life.
Choose the better portion.
What About You:
Where in your life are you making automatic trades — accepting the easy or the urgent without thinking about what it’s costing you?

May and I pause today and measure our decisions not by urgency, but by a LIFE we will live eternally.

Jeff B. Miller

In medieval Baghdad, the mighty Caliph Harun al-Rashid would sometimes set aside his royal robes and walk among his people disguised as a commoner.
 
He'd wander the streets, listen to complaints, and observe injustice firsthand.
 
The Caliph understood: sometimes the most powerful position is one of deliberate hiddenness.
 
This reminds me of Colossians 3:3-4: "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
 
What does it mean that our lives are "hidden with Christ"?
 
When Harun donned commoner's clothes, he didn't become less of a ruler. His authority remained intact. He was still the richest man in Baghdad. 
 
In the same way, your life hidden with Christ doesn't mean your true identity is diminished.
 
It simply means it isn't always visible to those around you.
 
Or even to yourself on your worst days. Here are 5 Keys to Living the Hidden Life
 
1. Embrace Death as the Doorway to True Life
 
There's no hidden life without first dying. "For you have died," Paul says.
 
This isn't morbid but liberating. Our old identity defined by performance and comparison has been crucified with Christ.
 
If the Caliph wanted to move freely, he had to "die" to his visible royal identity.
 
2. Find Security in Divine Concealment
 
Your life is "hidden with Christ in God."
 
Could there be a more secure location?
 
The Caliph's disguise provided some protection.
 
Your concealment is infinitely more comprehensive. Your worth and future are held in the ultimate stronghold. You don't have to frantically prove your value, because it is a foregone conclusion, even though hidden. 
 
3. Live From Identity Rather Than For Identity
 
The Caliph didn't disguise himself to become important. 
 
He already was important.
 
We don't serve to become God's children.
 
We already are His children.
 
This shift transforms motivation.
 
You're not working toward a status but from a status already secured.
 
4. Recognize the Strategic Advantage of Hiddenness
 
Harun discovered he could accomplish things incognito impossible in royal robes. It reminds me of Undercover Boss. 
 
When people didn't recognize him, they spoke freely.
 
Similarly, there's power in not needing credit or recognition.
 
When your life is hidden with Christ, you're freed from self-promotion.
 
You can serve without the burden of making sure everyone notices. The Caliph didn’t need to be known for what he was doing. It wasn’t about that; it was about accomplishing his purpose. 
 
More importantly, Christ did the same. He did not want His true identity revealed until the proper time. Which brings up #5…
 
5. Anticipate the Reveal
 
"When Christ appears, you also will appear with him in glory."
 
The hiddenness is temporary.
 
The Caliph always returned to the palace and revealed his true identity. The best part of Undercover Boss is the reveal. 
 
Your hidden life will likewise be fully disclosed, not as vindication, but as completion of what God has begun in you.
 
We live in a visibility-obsessed culture.
 
Followers, likes, influence - the metrics of seen-ness dominate. Those of us in business must wrestle with how to make people know we exist, and how to stay hidden in Christ. 
 
But the most transformative work happens in hiddenness.
 
The seed grows underground before breaking the surface.
 
The most important foundation stones are never seen.
 
Your life is hidden with Christ in God.
 
This isn't diminishment - it's placement in the most secure position possible.
 
Live boldly from that hidden place.
 
What others see or don't see matters infinitely less than what is already true of you in Christ.
 
Jeff Miller 

Here's what I used to think it meant to be a human and celebrate Easter.
Jesus died for me. He wants me to think really hard about that this weekend.
He also wants me to invite more people to church.
For 40 days prior (Lent), He wanted me to give up something and try to be less happy about stuff and happier about Him (but sad that He was betrayed, tortured, and died [which I am!]).
He probably wanted me to pray the whole weekend.
He wanted me to celebrate like crazy on Sunday, probably baptizing new converts, and singing the happiest worship songs before moving on to another Monday with the Easter season behind us and nothing much to do until Christmas.
I would be doing all these things not as well as I could or should be doing and asking for forgiveness, remembering that, well, this is just the sort of thing He died for—my less than perfect devotion.
Religion, am I right?
The fact is, all those things are good. I'll do most of them this weekend.
But it sure makes it feel like these things are the point of the Christian life.
But they are not the point of the Christian life.
Because as important as Holy Week is, it's still just religion.
It's good religion if…
…I don't forget what it's actually about. And what would that be?
Being.
Is there anything different about Easter from any other day?
Not really.
Which day do we not live in the reality that God made us, saved us, and loves us?
On which day should we not remember the Gospel and live out of the truth?
On what day are we not made in the image of God?
When do we not wake up and walk in the Spirit, fulfilling our callings as delegated authorities over the earth, making stuff and making stuff happen?
Is there any Tuesday we aren't called to love our neighbors, brothers, and enemies?
What I'm Not Saying
I'm not saying that it's not helpful to have seasons in the Church. I think most of us benefit from the annual reminders on the Church calendar. All those things in my introduction are good things as long as they don't become the point.
The fact that some who consider themselves Christians only go to church on special days tells me that it is the human tendency to mistake our relationship to God with a duty-bound obligation to His religion, even if it's poorly lived out.
Being baptized Christians is just our eternal reality at this point. Everything we do is worship, because we are constantly bearing His image and glorifying Him. The only way not to do that is to sin, which you can only do when you are forgetting who you are and Who He is.
Religion can help us not sin, and that's the point. Everything about being, is remembering.
There is tremendous freedom in giving up religiousness. And because you and I struggle to know when we're prioritizing religion over relationship, here are 10 ways to know if that's what you're doing:

1. You feel more obligated than invited.Religion says you should. Relationship says you get to.
2. You're more concerned with appearance than authenticity. Who's watching becomes more important than who you're meeting.
3. You compartmentalize "sacred" and "secular." Monday has nothing to do with Sunday.
4. You're driven by guilt rather than gratitude. Shame is your main motivator.
5. You focus more on rules than relationship. Getting the traditions right matters more than presence.
6. You measure spiritual success by activity rather than identity. Your worth depends on what you do.
7. You struggle to rest. Downtime makes you feel spiritually unproductive.
8. You compare your spiritual life to others. Your spiritual growth feels like a competition.
9. You're more familiar with doctrine than love. You can talk theology but struggle to embody it.
10. You forget to live in the present. You're stuck regretting the past or anxious about the future.

And a Bonus: You are always ashamed, even when you didn’t do anything wrong.
This is why Paul said, "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10).
He didn't say, "I want to know about Christ." He didn't say, "I want to perform rituals for Christ."
He said, "I want to know Christ."
And specifically? "The power of his resurrection."
This is practical resurrection life. It's not about checking religious boxes. It's about experiencing resurrection power in your daily life.
It's living as if death has already been defeated.
Because it has.
The miracle of Easter isn't just that Jesus rose then. It's that resurrection life is available now.
Every day.
In traffic jams.
During arguments.
While washing dishes.
Watching Netflix.
Resurrection isn't a concept—it's reality. Death, sin, and religion no longer have the final say.
So attend services. Sing songs. Remember the cross. Celebrate the empty tomb.
But don't forget Monday morning isn't a return to "regular life" after a spiritual holiday.
It's another day of being who you already are—a resurrection person.
That's the freedom Christ died and rose to give us. Not freedom someday.
Freedom today.
Thanks for reading Biblical Human Daily! Subscribe for free to receive new posts.
—Jeff B. Miller

Biblical Humans on Easter
 
While out walking with my daughter in our new neighborhood, we were cutting through the parking lot of a church just as their Saturday night mass was getting out. 
 
People were spilling out joyfully into the warm spring evening carrying their palm leaves. Palm Sunday is tomorrow, and in one of the most unified times of the year for the church, Christians are participating. 
 
In what?
 
In worship. In liturgy. In observance. In rhythms of reminding of our Lord, who He is, what He's done, and what it means for us. 
 
This is a good thing.
 
Except, it's not a good thing if the religious practices are mistaken for following Jesus. 
 
Before crossing that parking lot, my daughter had already asked me why so many Christians don't act like Jesus. 
 
My answer was that if we're in a culture where it makes sense to be a Christian, that is, makes social sense, then some people are probably going to sign up, though they actually don't fear God or even believe in Him. 
 
And it all makes me think about the question: What's the point of religious practices (which I actually love)?  
 
The point is that they are supposed to be helpful in shaping us into the kinds of people we are hoping to become in Christ. 
 
But isn't it so easy to forget that and think it's about the religious practices? 
 
The church services
The morning devotions
The Bible reading plans
The prayers
The *way* we pray
The confessions
The meditations 
 
If we do these things a lot we think we're being good Christians, but I don't think so. 
 
Instead, I think that if we can love our enemies.
Tell the truth.
Be generous. 
Serve graciously.
Be patient. Kind. Gentle. Self-controlled. 
 
May our religious practices lead us to bear the fruit of the Spirit. 
 
May our Easter egg hunts lead us to love our neighbors (I know an Easter egg hunt is not a religious practice.). 
 
I love church and all the things that go with it, but if I ask God to search my heart, I'm not asking Him to show me how committed I am to church, but how much like His Son I'm being. And I need lots of help with that, so I'll go to the church services, I'll do my morning devotions, prayers, Bible reading plans, and all the rest. 
 
Happy Palm Sunday and I pray you have a great one.

I don't often write about church here, but I will today. I've seen lots of churches and pastoredthree. I have opinions about what makes a healthy church.
By "healthy" I mean a church that is healthy for its members.
 
A healthy church is led by a leadership team (elders and staff) who don't think they own the members, but are accountable to them."
A healthy church cultivates:

1. Gathering
2. Around the Truth of the gospel and the Bible
3. Building Christ-centered relationships,
4. Loving the whole body of Christ across time and place,
5. Making disciples who make disciples,
6. And spiritually and materially benefiting the community where it belongs.

A healthy church equips members to take responsibility for their faith and lives, and assists in whatever way possible for them to live out God's call for them.
In short, church should be awesome. 
What doesn't matter as much:

1. Quality of production (nice, but not necessary)
2. Exact doctrinal stances on secondary issues and beyond (though your church may disagree with that)
3. Worship style (nice if you get what you like, but less important than other things)

Let me park on #2, because that is where I get the most pushback.
Do you really think you have no reason to doubt your stance on when the millennium happens and where we are in the process?
Do you really think you can't fellowship with someone who thinks Communion should be once a month, when you like it every week?
If Christ said "that is your brother because of my blood," is there any good reason not to do life together?
We have brothers and sisters all over the place that we live together with and worship Jesus forever and ever. Let's get used to each other. Maybe Jesus will even let us know when church governmental structure is the right one (elder led congregational, of course!) when we get there and it doesn't matter anymore.
What else doesn't matter? What does matter? Let's have a conversation in the comments, because I'm certain I left out some things.
Bonus Section: 5 Steps to Find a Church to Join
Step 1: Find One Close to Your HouseProximity matters. A church you can actually attend regularly beats a "perfect" one across town.
Step 2: Know What Actually MattersLeadership that serves and respects members, gospel-centered teaching, and genuine community trump production quality. Also, see my list above.
Step 3: Don't Get Hung Up on Secondary Doctrines Does this church believe in and love Jesus and take the Bible seriously? That's the foundation. The rest is negotiable.
Step 4: Watch How People Treat Each Other Real Christ-centered relationships matter more than programs. Look for authentic friendships, not just events.
Step 5: Check for Disciple-Making and Community Impact Healthy churches help people grow and serve their cities and neighborhoods, not just run Sunday services.
Remember, no church is perfect. I pray you find family, not perfection.

Godspeed Church Newsletter
Church News
Youth Group Launching
Starting this month, we're excited to announce our youth group!

• Schedule: 2nd and 4th Sunday nights
• Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
• Format: A mix of games and Bible discussion, similar to our small groups

Believers Worship

• When: 1st Sunday night of each month
• Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
• April Highlight: Building dedication with worship and prayer time

Good Friday Service

• Date: April 18th
• Time: 7:00-8:00 PM
• Focus: Scripture readings about the Good Friday story, interspersed with worship

Community Cookout

• Host: Network Bible Fellowship
• Date: TBD
• Time: 5:00 PM
• Location: Kevin and Shelly Kennedy's home 
  • 2702 Arrowhead Drive
  • Bloomington, IL 61704

Raising Kingdom Disciples: A Family Integrated Approach
At Godspeed Church, we are in a unique phase. We have kids around, but not enough personnel to start a comprehensive children's program. What is the bright side of that? We get to be a family integrated church in this season.
The Sobering Reality
The statistics are stark and deeply concerning. Research shows that approximately 60-70% of young people raised in Christian homes walk away from their faith after high school. This exodus represents more than just a generational trend—it's a spiritual crisis that demands our immediate attention and intentional response.
The Biblical Blueprint: Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Scripture provides us with a powerful model of discipleship that begins in the home. Moses instructs the Israelites:
"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
This passage reveals God's design for spiritual formation: parents as primary disciplers, integrating faith into every aspect of daily life.
Hope in Family Discipleship
Compelling research offers a ray of hope. When parents actively disciple their children—not just teaching about Jesus, but modeling a living, vibrant faith—the retention rates dramatically change. Studies indicate that children who are consistently discipled by their parents are:

• 4-6 times more likely to maintain their faith into adulthood
• More resilient against cultural pressures
• More likely to develop a personal, authentic relationship with Christ

Embracing Our Current Season
Our current lack of a formal children's program is not a limitation—it's an opportunity. By worshiping together as a family, our children:

• Observe authentic worship
• Learn to engage with Scripture
• See faith lived out in real-time
• Feel integral to the body of Christ, not segregated

Practical Steps for Parents

1. Integrate Faith Conversations: Make spiritual discussions as natural as talking about school or daily activities.
2. Model Vulnerability: Share your own spiritual journeys, including struggles and victories.
3. Worship Together: Allow children to participate fully in corporate worship.
4. Disciple Intentionally: Create rhythms of family devotion and prayer.

A Call to Action
Parents, you are your children's first and most important spiritual mentors. Our church season is a divine invitation to reimagine discipleship—not as a program, but as a lifestyle. Let's keep conversations going about this and support one another on the most important journey God has called us to.
May God grant us wisdom, courage, and grace as we raise the next generation of Christ-followers.

Even Though You Feel Powerless, You Aren't
God's sovereignty doesn't cancel your agency—it awakens it.
She sat across from me, eyes low, voice quiet.
"I don't even know why I did it," she said. "I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to fall back into that pattern, but it just sort of happened. I guess I'm just broken."
I've heard some version of that story more times than I can count.
Sometimes it comes with guilt.
Sometimes with shame.
Sometimes with a strange kind of resignation—as if being human means being hopeless.
There's a familiar lie that gets into our bones:
"I can't help it."
We say it when we're overwhelmed by temptation.
We say it when trauma feels louder than truth.
We say it when it seems like the choices of others—or the circumstances around us—have stripped us of our own.
And sometimes we even dress it up in church clothes:
"God's in control."
"This must be His will."
"Maybe I'm just supposed to suffer through this."
But here's what I want to say to you gently, as a pastor and a fellow struggler:
Even though you feel powerless, you aren't.
You may feel stuck.
You may feel like your story is already written.
You may feel like your will is too weak or your wounds too deep.
But you still have a soul.
You still have a say.
You still bear the image of God.
And the image of God in you is not passive. It's not helpless. It's not programmed or predetermined.
It's creative. Responsive. Capable of love and change and choice.
That's what agency is.
It's not about control. It's not about fixing everything.
It's about choosing to respond to God—even when life feels out of control.
Jesus showed us this.
In John 10:18, He says:
"No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."
Even in betrayal, even in pain, even at the cross—He chose.
And by choosing love, He changed everything.
That same Spirit lives in you.
Scripture is full of holy invitations:
• "Choose this day whom you will serve."
Joshua 24:15
• "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…"
Romans 12:2
• "Put off your old self… and put on the new self, created to be like God."
Ephesians 4:22–24
God's grace doesn't remove your agency. It restores it.
You may not be able to choose your circumstances.
But you can choose your response.
You can choose hope.
You can choose faithfulness.
You can choose again.
And when temptation feels overwhelming—when you're convinced there's no way forward except surrender—remember this promise:
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
This isn't empty motivation. It's divine assurance that in every moment of weakness, God has already created an exit route. The way out might not be obvious. It might not be easy. But it's there—waiting for you to choose it.
God wouldn't promise a way out if you didn't have the ability to take it.
And even if it's hard—especially if it's hard—that choice is sacred.
 
 
 
Call to Action:
This week, resist the lie that you're stuck. Ask the Spirit: "What do I still have the power to choose today?" Then do it—with faith.
Journal Prompt:
Where in my life have I been living as if I have no choice? What would it look like to reclaim agency in that area—with God, not apart from Him?
 

Abundant Life Or Comfort
 
For a long time, I’d visit the local zoo, and I’d think, “Why wouldn’t this lion want to be in a zoo?”
He has a nice big space they made look like his natural habitat, they feed him plenty, and he even gets to mate. No one is going to kill him, and his family will never starve. All his lion problems are solved. He’s a lucky lion.
Now I know better.
I know that any lion would prefer to take his chances on the Serengeti and be free, that is, be a true lion.
But why? What else could one want but food, shelter, and mates?
How about life, and life abundant? A lion who is not living free is not living.
But does abundant life need to come with danger and hardship?
Apparently.
Here’s the research on animals.
Here’s some specifically for lions. Here, and Here.
The Death of a Caged Spirit
Why would a creature choose hardship over comfort? Why risk starvation when abundance is guaranteed?
Because a lion that isn't hunting isn't really a lion at all. If he’s not working the social network of a chosen pride, he’s incomplete.
A zoo lion might technically be alive—heart beating, lungs breathing—but it's experiencing a kind of spiritual death. It's been robbed of its essential nature. The very DNA-level programming that makes a lion a lion is rendered meaningless in captivity.
That glorious mane? Useless when there are no lionesses to impress. Those powerful muscles? Wasted when there's nothing to chase. Those territorial instincts? Frustrated by unchanging boundaries.
The zoo offers safety at the cost of identity. Longevity at the expense of purpose. And sometimes, he doesn’t even get longevity, the stress of captivity draining his life at a more rapid pace.
The Human Zoo of Modern Life
We're not so different.
We've built our own human zoos—climate-controlled homes, DoorDash delivering our meals, Netflix supplying endless entertainment. We've eliminated countless hardships our ancestors faced daily (and I’m even glad about it!).
Yet rates of depression, anxiety, and meaninglessness continue to skyrocket. Why?
Because just like that lion, we weren't created for captivity—even self-imposed captivity.
We were designed for the hunt. For the struggle. For the challenge of becoming something greater through difficulty.
Safety Is Not the Ultimate Good
We've been conditioned to believe that the greatest good is the elimination of risk, the avoidance of pain, the guarantee of comfort.
But Christ never promised safety—He promised life. And not just existence, but abundant life (John 10:10).
Think about that. Jesus didn't say: "I have come that they might have comfort, and have it more predictably." He didn't say: "I have come that they might avoid all danger and live in perfect security."
No—He promised life in its fullest expression. Life with both its soaring joys and crushing sorrows. Life with risk and reward. Life with meaning forged through sacrifice.
Where True Joy Lives
True joy isn't found in the absence of difficulty—it's found in the presence of purpose.
The lion on the savanna, muscles burning as it sprints toward its prey, is experiencing something the zoo lion never will: the exhilaration of living precisely as it was designed to live.
The same is true for us. Our greatest moments of joy don't come from netflix binges or scrolling mindlessly through social media feeds. They come from pushing ourselves beyond what we thought possible. From creating something meaningful. From fighting for something larger than ourselves.
Think about the difference between starting your own business versus collecting a safe, predictable paycheck. The entrepreneur faces sleepless nights, financial uncertainty, and the constant possibility of failure. The traditional employee enjoys weekends off, regular income, and the security of benefits.
Yet how many people feel truly alive in their cubicles? How many find deep satisfaction in merely executing someone else's vision? The entrepreneur, despite shouldering enormous risk, experiences life at a level of intensity the paycheck-collector rarely knows. They're building something that matters to them. They're testing the limits of their capabilities. They're living as humans were designed to live—creating, conquering, and cultivating.
I am aware that I am way over-generalizing and that many find great fulfillment in the jobs working for a company or person they believe in, so don’t rule out the possibility. But I know too many people who have given up on any dream of creating something valuable that requires risking their livelihood and identity.
They settle. And the tell-tale is that they hate their job, live for weekends, vacations, and retirement. It doesn’t feel like the way we were created to live.
Not everyone should be an entrepreneur. But everyone must find their arena of meaningful struggle—that place where your unique gifts meet the world's deep needs. That's where purpose lives and joy flourishes.
From fully embracing our God-given design, whatever the cost.
Choose the Jungle
So we face a choice—a choice that defines not just how we live, but who we become:
Will we choose the zoo, with its promise of comfort and security?
Or will we choose the jungle, with its dangers, uncertainties, and the possibility of truly living as we were created to live?
The zoo lion may live longer. But the wild lion lives.
Choose the jungle. Choose purpose over comfort. Choose the struggle that makes you who you were meant to be.
Choose life—real, raw, difficult, glorious life.
Because a cage, no matter how gilded, is still a cage. And you were made for so much more.
I asked an A.I. program for 5 practical steps to move from "zoo" comfort to a more fulfilling "jungle" life:
5 Practical Steps to Embrace Jungle Living
1. Identify Your Cage
Take inventory of where you've chosen comfort over purpose. Look for signs like chronic boredom, living for weekends, or feeling that life is passing you by. What safety nets are actually holding you back? Which routines have become ruts? The first step toward the jungle is recognizing the bars of your current enclosure.
2. Rediscover Your Natural Instincts
What activities make you lose track of time? When do you feel most alive? These are clues to your essential nature - your equivalent of the lion's hunting instinct. Review your childhood dreams before practicality took over. Journal about moments when you felt most fulfilled and look for patterns. Your path to the jungle lies in reconnecting with these core drives.
3. Take Progressive Risk
The jungle doesn't require quitting your job tomorrow. Start with small, calculated risks that stretch your comfort zone. Commit to one meaningful risk each month - a difficult conversation, a creative project, or learning a challenging skill. Like building muscle, risk tolerance grows through consistent exercise. Each step builds confidence for larger leaps.
4. Find Your Pride
Lions aren't solitary creatures - they thrive in community. Identify people who are already living in their "jungle" and spend time with them. Distance yourself from those who reinforce cage thinking. Join communities centered around growth, purpose, and meaningful challenge rather than mere comfort or status.
5. Embrace Purposeful Hardship
Voluntarily choose difficulty that serves a greater purpose. This might mean fasting occasionally, taking cold showers, or committing to physical challenges - not for their own sake, but to build the mental toughness required for meaningful pursuits. When hardship serves purpose, it becomes a path to freedom rather than something to avoid.
Remember: The jungle isn't about recklessness—it's about embracing the full spectrum of life with purpose, even when that includes struggle. True freedom comes not from avoiding difficulty but from choosing meaningful challenges that align with how you were designed to live.
Bible Verses for Embracing "Jungle Living"

1. James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." This verse directly addresses how challenges lead to growth and completeness.

2. Romans 5:3-5 - "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Speaks to the transformative power of difficulties in building character.

3. Hebrews 12:1-2 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Encourages us to shed comforts that hold us back from our true calling.

4. 2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Reminds us that fear shouldn't keep us in the "zoo" - we're equipped for more.

5. Matthew 16:25 - "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."The paradox that seeking safety above all actually costs us true life.

6. Ecclesiastes 11:4 - "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap." A warning against excessive caution that prevents us from meaningful action.

7. Isaiah 43:19 - "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." God often works through the "wilderness" experiences, not by keeping us in safety.

8. Philippians 3:13-14 - "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." The importance of moving forward with effort rather than resting in comfort.

9. Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Embracing the jungle requires faith beyond our natural desire for security.

10. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." Discipline and purposeful struggle for meaningful reward.

Have a great weekend!
www.ChristianGhostwriting.com
www.ChristianWritingCoach.net
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The Spiritual Discipline of Writing
I've spent 23 years as a pastor. During that time, I've sat with countless people who felt stuck in their lives. They'd come seeking answers, solutions, a way forward.
What they didn't expect was my prescription: "Write your autobiography."
I'm not a therapist. I don't pretend to be. But I've discovered something powerful happens when people put their story on paper.
When they force themselves to arrange their messy, complicated lives into words—something transformative happens.
They see patterns they missed. They notice turning points. They discover God was working in places they thought He was absent.
Why does this work? Because writing your story forces order from chaos. You can't just say "things happened" – you have to decide what matters, what connects, what belongs. Suddenly those random life fragments form a coherent narrative.
The process creates distance. You become both character and author of your own story, stepping back just enough to see the bigger picture. Most importantly, writing chronologically reveals God's threading throughout your life. Those "coincidences" start looking like divine appointments. That seemingly wasted season suddenly appears as preparation for your current calling.
Often, people discover parts of their story aren't just for them. Their suffering wasn't meaningless—it was preparation to help others facing similar battles. As 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 tells us, we comfort others with the same comfort we've received. Writing helps discern which parts of your story are meant as testimony and which remain between you and God alone.
This is just one example of the power of writing. It's more than communication; it's spiritual formation—a practice that draws us closer to God, clarifies our purpose, and strengthens our faith.
Writing as Surrender
Most spiritual disciplines involve yielding. Prayer yields our thoughts. Fasting yields our physical needs. Writing, when approached spiritually, yields our words to God's purposes.
Before you write, try this simple prayer:
"These words aren't mine, God. They're yours. Use them however you want."
That's harder than it sounds. We're attached to our words. We want control over how they're received. But true spiritual growth always involves surrender, and writing is no exception.
Your job isn't results. Your job is obedience. Write what God has placed in your heart to write. The rest belongs to Him.
God Speaks Through Your Writing
Here's something strange I've noticed: God often speaks to me through my own writing.
I'll be typing away, and suddenly a thought appears that I wasn't planning to write. An insight emerges that I didn't have before my fingers hit the keyboard.
This isn't mystical nonsense. Writing forces clarity. It requires organizing jumbled thoughts into coherent sentences. In that organizing process, the Holy Spirit often shows up. I have often, said, “you don’t know what you know until you try to write.” 
Even if you're writing a novel or a business book, try asking: "Lord, what do YOU want to say through this?" The answer might surprise you.
Writing to Serve
Writing isn’t always just for us. Sometimes, God will nudge into a new vulnerability. He’ll call you to share what you’ve written so that others can learn. 
Jesus boiled everything down to two commands: love God, love others. Good writing can do both.
A well-crafted story bypasses intellectual defenses and speaks directly to the heart. A clear teaching equips believers to live out their faith. Even a thoughtful social media post can be God's instrument of encouragement to someone who desperately needs it.
Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" and to keep "encouraging one another." If your writing does this—if it strengthens faith, challenges complacency, or encourages a weary soul—it's not just writing. It's ministry.
If You Are Going to Write, Especially As a Spiritual Discipline

1. Pray before you write. Not a quick "bless this," but genuine surrender of the outcome.
2. Develop the discipline of regularity. Writing only when inspired is like praying only when you feel spiritual. Set a schedule and see it as an appointment with God.
3. Pursue excellence relentlessly. Edit ruthlessly. Learn from more experienced writers. Offer God your best, not just your first draft.
4. Write for God first, audience second. Your primary aim is obedience to what God has called you to communicate.
5. Focus on serving others. Ask how your writing can meet real needs or solve real problems for your readers.

The Blank Page Is Waiting
Writing can be many things: a hobby, a creative outlet, a way to process thoughts, or even a paycheck. But when approached as a spiritual discipline, it becomes something far more profound—a sacred space where you encounter both yourself and God.
Embrace writing as a spiritual adventure—pushing beyond your comfort zone into the deeper waters where God often works most powerfully. Here, you confront difficult truths about yourself, wrestle honestly with Scripture, and discover unexpected insights that surprise even you.
Writing, when surrendered to God, becomes more than arranging words on a page. It becomes a mirror reflecting who we truly are—and a window revealing who God is calling us to become.
www.ChristianGhostwriting.com
www.ChristianWritingCoach.net
 
 
 
 

The Myth of the "Common": Why Everything Belongs to God (and What it Means for How We Live)
Rejecting the sacred/secular divide is what liberates. 
Something has been bugging me. Christians are suffering terribly from:

• Exhausting moral gymnastics (navigating different ethical frameworks)
• Chronic guilt (never feeling like they're doing enough religiously)
• Spiritual staleness (faith feels mechanical despite consistent practices)
• Monday morning disconnect (jarring transition between Sunday and weekday)
• Persistent divided identity ("church self" vs. "real-world self")
• Frustration with 'secular' time demands (resentment toward non-church responsibilities)
• Resistance to whole-life discipleship (bristling at faith implications for non-religious areas)

Let me backup. Recently I was doing work among some Christian financial advisors. They are a great bunch of God-loving, people-loving disciples of Jesus. But they are, as a whole, wrong about one thing. They work from the idea of a secular/sacred divide.
How do I know? Because if you ask any of them this question: "Is 11% better to give than 10%?" They will say, "of course."
What do you say?
I say, "Only if you believe in a sacred/secular divide." Or as they say in the Old Testament a "common/clean" divide.
And they do say that in the Old Testament.
Another story: I was meeting someone for coffee who loves the Lord and loves people. He was talking about his decision to stay in the "secular" workplace, rather than become a pastor.
"I can talk to more people about Jesus at work."
What does this mean? The importance of work is that it is a place to do something scared. And what is that? It's not producing value for the company that hired him. That would be common. It's doing "spiritual stuff," like talking about Jesus. I imagine he'd also say tithing on his salary is spiritual stuff that sanctifies his work too.
That would be wrong. Because we are not in the Old Testament. We are in the New Testament. It's all spiritual stuff.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
Unless you are downright sinning, you are doing something holy.
Work is holy.
Spending time with friends is holy, even if you're not talking about God.
Making love to your spouse is holy.
Enjoying entertainment is holy.
Doing hobbies is holy.
Decorating your house is holy.
Mowing your grass is holy.
Investing in the stock market is holy.
And you don't need to justify any of it. For instance, you don't need to say, "I decorate my house so I can have people over to share Jesus, or so I can have a place to get deeper into prayer."
You don't have to justify your hobbies: "I practice woodwork so I can recharge to serve the world in soup kitchens and church."
You don't need to justify anything, because it's all holy.
And of course, prayer, Bible study, worship, attending church, and giving to the poor is also holy. But not extra holy.
If you think some things are holier than others; if you think 10% of your money is holier and more possessed by God, the other 90%, then you will never give enough until you are giving it all. You will never feel like a whole person.
And being whole is incredibly important. It's called having integrity (integer is a whole number).
Being split is the source of every problem I've ever seen in the people of God.
It's a false division. It's unbiblical. And you aren't the first Christian to make that mistake. Consider Peter.
Acts 10 tells us:
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
"What God has made clean, do not call common."
I wonder what God means there. Did he mean that he made all things clean from the beginning, but gave the Jews the distinction in the Old Testament to teach them something about holiness?
Or did he mean that Jesus took the whole world into himself and died on the cross, fulfilling the law, and making all things clean but sin?
I think it's probably the latter.
Now we say, "to the pure, all things are pure," (Titus 1:15).
This revolutionary shift ripples throughout the New Testament:
Our entire bodies are living sacrifices
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." (Romans 12:1)
Not just a portion of our lives—our entire beings are the offering.
All believers are priests
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)
Not just a special class of people—all believers have direct access to God and sacred purpose.
All of life is sacred service
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
Not just religious activities—everything we do can be an act of worship.
Everything belongs to God
"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1)
Not just 10% or designated portions—everything is His.
Beyond Compartments: Christ's Holistic Vision
Jesus didn't come to create religious people who are holy for an hour on Sunday. He came to make us whole, integrating every aspect of our existence under His lordship. The New Covenant doesn't abolish the sacred—it expands it to encompass all of life.
How did we drift back into Old Testament categories? Several factors contribute:

• Compartmentalization feels more manageable than total surrender
• Lingering Greek dualistic thinkingGreek dualistic thinking that separates physical and spiritual
• Misunderstood stewardship that limits God's ownership
• Missing the biblical narrative's trajectory from "some things sacred" to "everything sacred"

At the heart of this transformation is love. Paul cuts through religious pretense: "If I have not love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2). Love cannot be compartmentalized. It breaks down walls, crosses boundaries, and transforms how we engage with every aspect of life.
The ultimate integration Jesus brings is love without boundaries—love that permeates every interaction, recognizing that everything and everyone belongs to God.
How Then Shall We Give?
Joyfully, cheerfully, generously, as though we know God loves to provide for us. But we see everything we do as giving. We work generously, we love generously, we play generously. We are whole and we trust God completely. That's the goal anyway. Compartmentalizing life between holy and common makes all that nearly impossible. Don't fall for it.
 
 

#1 Quality of a Great Leader? Non-Anxiousness 
How to overcome anxiety and lead your family, church, business, or government…
I have a favorite book right now. It's called A Failure of Nerve. I'm reading It for the 3rd time… well, listening to it, because it finally came out on audio.
What is Differentiated Leadership?
The main point is that what the world's organizations, be they churches, families, companies, governments, or bridge clubs, need is differentiated leadership.
This means that leaders maintain their individual-ness and a vision for the organization while staying engaged.
Engaged, but not enmeshed.
What groups need, says Friedman, is a non-anxious leader who functions in the organization as a non-anxious presence.
The Problem with Anxious Leadership
Poor leadership is over functioning for the individuals in their care, and overfunctioning is a result of anxiousness. When leaders become anxious about outcomes or how they're perceived, they tend to take on responsibilities that rightfully belong to others. This overfunctioning not only exhausts the leader but ultimately handicaps those they lead, preventing them from developing their own capacities and sense of responsibility.
Biblical Foundations for Non-Anxious Leadership
This is so good, and it's biblical too. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul instructs us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
This captures perfectly what Friedman means by maintaining a non-anxious presence - letting God's peace, which defies logical understanding, protect our emotional and mental state even amid organizational chaos.
Isaiah 26:3 reinforces this concept: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." A differentiated leader maintains their focus on higher principles rather than getting swept away by the emotional reactivity around them. This steadfast mind creates the perfect peace needed to lead effectively.
And in Proverbs 29:11, we see the contrast between undifferentiated and differentiated responses: "A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back." The differentiated leader doesn't react impulsively to every stimulus or emotional wave in the organization. Instead, they thoughtfully respond with measured wisdom, maintaining clarity of vision and purpose regardless of the surrounding anxiety.
Friedman's insights about differentiated leadership aren't just good organizational theory—they're deeply aligned with biblical wisdom about peace, self-control, and maintaining focus amid turbulence.
A Parable of Two Leaders, by A.I. 
Once there were two leaders who each guided a ship through treacherous waters.
The first leader, Captain Anxious, constantly worried about everything that could go wrong. When waves crashed against the ship, he rushed from sailor to sailor, taking over their tasks because he feared they wouldn't do them correctly. He stayed awake all night checking and rechecking their course. When crew members made suggestions, he dismissed them, convinced that only his methods would keep them safe. His crew became passive, waiting for his instructions rather than developing their own skills. Though they eventually reached their destination, the journey left everyone—especially the captain—exhausted and resentful.
The second leader, Captain Steadfast, understood the dangers they faced but remained calm. When storms came, she clearly communicated what needed to be done but trusted her crew to handle their responsibilities. She maintained her vision of their destination while staying connected with her crew's experiences. When problems arose, she addressed the relationships and communication patterns rather than just the immediate crisis. Her confidence gave the crew courage, and when she didn't know something, she admitted it and invited their input. Under her leadership, the crew grew more capable with each challenge. They not only reached their destination but arrived with stronger skills and deeper trust in one another.
The difference wasn't in the storms they faced—both encountered equal dangers. The difference was in how each captain responded to those challenges and how that response affected everyone on board.
5 Steps to Becoming a Non-Anxious Leader
Here are 5 steps to becoming non-anxious so that you can lead effectively:

1. Be clear about who you are in Christ - Know your values and what you stand for. When you're confident about your beliefs, other people's stress won't throw you off track so easily.
2. Stay connected without absorbing others' emotions - Build good relationships with people, but don't take on their worries as your own. Their problems don't have to become your problems.
3. Manage your own emotions - Learn to recognize when you're getting anxious and have strategies ready to calm down. Prayer, reading Scripture, breathing exercises, or physical activity can all help reduce stress.
4. Focus on relationships, not just problems - When facing challenges, pay attention to how people are interacting with each other, not just the issue itself. (Friedman calls this "process, not content".) Often, the way people communicate causes more trouble than the actual problem.
5. Respond thoughtfully instead of reacting quickly - Take time to think about your principles before you act. When you respond calmly instead of reacting emotionally, you help everyone else stay calmer too.

The bottom line is this, if you have anxiety, especially when you are a leader, priority one should be overcoming it. It would be easy to say, "That's just how I am," but all the gold lies on the other side of this problem.
Let me encourage you: There is no problem in your life that can be solved by anxiousness.
You have permission from God to have peace, no matter the level of attack or sabotage you are experiencing from others.
When in doubt, "keep calm and pursue your vision" while staying engaged with the hurting ones. This is not permission to ignore people or not see them, but it is permission to not allow their anxiety or under-functioning (failures) to take you out.
This is one of the most important things I've ever learned. I hope and pray for all of us that we can allow God to build this into us and make the world a better place.
 
 

I’ve always been an early riser, for years waking around 3 AM. After devotions, I’d kill time—reading, playing games, scrolling—waiting for the gym to open.
Then I made a profile on Fiverr and started selling writing services. Those hours transformed from consumption to production. I made only $2 an hour at first, but as Jesus teaches, “whoever is faithful with little will be given much”.
 
Over time, a writing career emerged by the magic of compound interest. Fiverr ranked me up, customers wrote reviews, and workload demanded I raise prices until I was making more in a couple of hours in the morning than all day in my full-time job. Eventually, I chose to go bi-vocational and give up the full-time pastor salary.
I’ve never forgotten this lesson, and I am trying to apply it to every area of my life.
For the first 23 years of my life, I focused almost exclusively on what I could consume and created very little. Creation felt like work, and work was something to be avoided whenever possible. My mindset was centered on entertainment, comfort, and the path of least resistance. I measured life by what I could get, not what I could give.
What does it mean to truly live?
Genesis tells us we were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). If God is a creator, then we are meant to create.
Most people get confused about their purpose. This leads them to simply follow their appetites. Paul describes such people inPhilippians 3:19: “Their god is their belly…”
But I’ve found two simple rules for my life:
1. Produce, rather than consume.
2. And when you do consume, do it to fuel production.
The Divine Pattern of Production
Look at the opening of the Bible. God creates. He produces. He makes something from nothing.
Our fallen nature, however, gravitates toward consumption. We’re bombarded with messages suggesting happiness comes from what we acquire or consume.
The modern economy thrives on making us feel incomplete. Social media keeps us scrolling rather than creating.
Consumption vs. Production
Consumption isn’t wrong. We need to eat, rest, and learn from others. The problem is when consumption becomes our default mode.
Consider how many hours the average person spends scrolling, binge-watching, or shopping for things they don’t need.
Now compare that to how many hours they spend creating, writing, serving others, or building relationships.
This imbalance is the root of much modern emptiness.
Creation as Worship
When we produce—whether writing, cooking, building, or teaching—we participate in the divine nature. We fulfill our purpose as image-bearers.
Production is harder than consumption. It requires discipline and means facing potential failure. This is why many choose passive consumption—it’s easier.
But the rewards are profound: satisfaction, connection, growth, and legacy.
Those early morning hours I spent writing for $2 seemed insignificant. But they were seeds that grew into something unexpected. Had I continued with consumption, I would have missed the abundant life waiting on the other side.
Your Challenge
If I may be so bold, allow me to challenge you: This week, audit your consumption-to-production ratio:
1. How many hours do you spend consuming?
2. How many hours do you spend creating?
3. What one small thing could you produce this week instead?
 
Start small. Write a letter instead of scrolling.Cook from scratch instead of ordering takeout. Begin that project you’ve been postponing.
We were made for more than consumption. We were created to add value to the world through our own creations.
What will you create today?
(For a bonus: Consider your attitude towards food. Is it consumption to fuel your creation? Or is it consumption to fill a void in your heart?)

What Happens When We Fool Ourselves
I don’t think most people try very hard to change.
Because it is almost always painful.
It is certainly never comfortable.
And besides, it’s easy to stay the same.
I remember a professor of mine who was 67 years old and foolish. As a 25-year-old, I thought, God, don’t let me live the same year for forty years and end up like this guy.
He seemed to have gone his whole life never changing, never growing, never healing, never maturing.
Why?
I came across a quote the other day by Nassim Taleb:
    “It takes inordinate courage to introspect, to confront oneself, to accept one’s limitations—scientists are seeing more and more evidence that we are specifically designed by mother nature to fool ourselves.”
While I don’t believe in mother nature, I get his point.
We won’t go into the social and emotional benefits of fooling ourselves. I’m comfortable calling this sin, and the Bible has much to say on the subject.
My faithful assistant, ChatGPT, came up with some Bible verses (ESV) to make us uncomfortable about this. Read a few, or read them all, and meet me at the end of the list.
What Scripture Says About Self-Deception
Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
Proverbs 16:2 – “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.”
1 Corinthians 3:18 – “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.”
Lamentations 3:40 – “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!”
2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
James 1:23-25 – “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Job 42:1-6 – “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4 – “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Romans 1:21-22, 25 – “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools… because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”
The Power of Introspection
Introspection is powerful—but you have to do it.
I find it helpful to use a journal and, after asking God to search my heart with me, start asking questions:
    1.    Why did I do that?
    2.    Why did I say that?
    3.    Why did that make me feel bad?
    4.    Why did I get triggered?
    5.    Why don’t I have peace?
Let your hand go, and you’ll discover things. Then you’ll need to do something about them. But frankly, the hardest part is over—looking in the mirror.
After that, you can start accepting what you think is true (because it just might be!) and changing.
God bless you, Godspeed, and happy introspecting.
 
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What the Heck is Wrong with You? 
The Bible on Carl Jung’s Shadow Concept
 
Let’s get weird.
Why weird? Because, as a Christian psychologist once told me, Carl Jung is weird.
One of the weirdest and most intriguing aspects of his system—at least according to my limited understanding—is the concept of the shadow.
The shadow is:

• The parts of yourself that you hate and hide.
• The things that irritate you and trigger you about others.
• The impulses that go against the carefully curated persona you’ve been building your whole life.

Jung believed that ignoring the shadow doesn’t make it go away. In fact, the more you repress it, the more control it has over you. The healthier response is to integrate it—bringing it into the light, acknowledging it, and learning from it.
But here’s where the biblical view differs: The goal isn’t integration but transformation.
The answer to our hidden darkness isn’t to embrace it—it’s to confess it. To bring it into the presence of Jesus and into the presence of trusted, godly people who can help us deal with it.
A Biblical Take on the Shadow
Jung wasn’t wrong in noticing that people have hidden darkness. But he wasn’t the first to notice it. The Bible has been talking about this for thousands of years.
Scripture describes a similar reality:

• The sinful nature. Paul describes this in Romans 7:15: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” There is a war within us—a part of us that wants to do good, and another part that pulls us toward destruction.

 

• The heart’s deceitfulness. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). We all carry hidden motives, blind spots, and contradictions.

 

• The log in our own eye. Jesus warns us against obsessing over others’ faults while ignoring our own: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3). Sometimes the things that annoy us most in others are reflections of what we haven’t faced in ourselves.

But unlike Jung’s view, where the goal is to integrate your shadow, the biblical path is to drag it into the light and surrender it to Christ.
James 5:16 says:
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
Confession isn’t about shame. It’s about freedom. Your shadow doesn’t shrink when you hide it—it shrinks when you expose it.
Main Exercise: Stop Filtering Yourself (But Not Like That)
A pastor I know started cussing people out regularly, calling them vile names, because “the Holy Spirit told him not to filter himself.” But I don’t think hurting people or dishonoring God is the point of this.
Instead, here’s a better way to practice holy unfiltering:
1. Confess to a Christian Friend
Stop carrying your shadow alone. If there’s something you’ve been hiding—anger, addiction, bitterness, jealousy—bring it to someone you trust. Not just anyone, but a mature Christian who won’t just nod and say “me too” but will actually call you to repentance.
Tell them something real. Something raw. And let them pray for you.
Watch what happens when the thing you thought would make you unlovable is met with grace instead.
2. Notice What Triggers You
Pay attention to the things that set you off. Do arrogant people enrage you? Maybe you fear your own pride. Do hypocrites annoy you? Maybe you’re afraid of being exposed.
Instead of judging, ask: What is this revealing about my own heart?
Then take that revelation to God.
3. Stop Filtering Yourself (Even If People Won’t Like It)
If your life is built around pleasing people, you will never be free.
Jesus didn’t filter himself to be liked. He was honest. He was disruptive. He told the truth even when it made people furious.
Adlerian psychology (from The Courage to Be Disliked) argues that freedom comes from detaching your worth from other people’s opinions. Most people are trapped in an approval-seeking prison. They live to be liked, to be accepted, to be seen as good.
But Jesus calls us to something higher.
Paul says in Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Here’s the challenge:
Say what you mean. Be who you are. Stop shaping your words, your presence, your very existence around what will make people approve of you.
You will lose some people. You might be misunderstood. But you will gain your soul.
And—here’s the secret—you’ll actually be more respected in the long run. Because people instinctively trust those who aren’t playing a game.
4. Surrender, Don’t Suppress
The goal isn’t to push the darkness down or act like it isn’t there. It’s to bring it into the light of Christ.

• If you’re exhausted from performing, stop.
• If you’re hiding something, confess it.
• If you’re bending yourself to fit into people’s expectations, walk away from that.

Surrender your shadow. Let God have it.
Your Shadow Doesn’t Have the Last Word
Yes, you have hidden motives, unresolved wounds, and impulses you don’t understand. But you are not defined by them.
The real you isn’t the sum of your broken pieces—it’s who you are in Christ.
And when you bring your shadow into His light, it doesn’t just stop haunting you.
It becomes part of your testimony.