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Tips and Tricks to Living a Christian Life
Tips and Tricks
Struggling in Dark Times
If You're Struggling With Dark Times Then Cheer Up
I was watching Dale Ahlquist, President of The American Chesterton Society, last night when something occurred to me. He was talking about the fact that preumption, not despair, is the opposite of hope. The idea is that we can only have hope when things seem bleak. And if we're not worried about something, we're living in bliss, not hopefulness.
This bliss is something that dominates most of our society today. Americans have made it their business to make everything as safe as possible. We've also invented backup plans for when something does go wrong (insurance). We shell out billions of dollars to create a society protected against crime and terrorism. We make health more important than healing. And all of this has created a society without hope.
Connecting To Christ Through Pain and Suffering
In all the passages in the four gospels, there are two that really stand out as testaments to Christ’s humanity. The first one is obviously the prayer from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” What inspiration this offers to the suffering. Here hangs Christ, at the hour of fulfillment. At his most admirable moment…while He is in total conformity to God’s will. And He feels abandoned. If any person out there hasn’t felt abandoned by God, it’s because they never felt in company with God.
5 Ways to a Life of Charity
Charity isn’t the easiest virtue to master. And with St. Paul’s warning that our good works mean nothing without charity, we see how important it is to practice. Here’s a few practical ways to install charity into every day life.
Living in the Shadows of Addiction
It’s not easy to get through the drudge and sludge of everyday living. Bills keep their overbearing pressure on your mind and can turn every task into a stressful event. Though you might have some temporary relief on pay day, the creditors have a mysterious way of gnawing at your thoughts…always reminding you that the pay check wasn’t quite enough.
Forgiveness in Turn
Christian life is difficult, there’s no doubt about it. One of the hardest aspects of it is learning to practice the idea of mercy. Some people might breeze right through forgiving a John Doe who harmed or hurt them…that’s actually the easiest part.