Craig Constantinos

There are so many different voices clamoring to tell us the meaning of Christmas.

A colleague came to me recently after she had noticed a somewhat surprising trend: millennial parents are far more likely than previous generations to raise their children without a focus on religion.

February is a month where we celebrate love. This is often seen in the context of romantic love, but it can also be a good time to celebrate our friendships and to let our family know what they mean to us. While that sounds great in theory, it frequently does not go as hoped in practice.

Some of the hardest times in our lives to trust in God are when our plans get ruined. We have expectations, we have hope, but then everything shifts. “Why God would you do this to me? Did I make a mistake putting my trust in you?”

One of the most difficult challenges we face these days is how to consume the news. We want to know what is happening in the world, but figuring out how much time to spend on it, where to spend that time, and how to spend that time without being constantly angry is a difficulty that few believers or non-believers have a handle on.

The search for happiness seems to define our lives. Consultants, life coaches, authors, motivational speakers, and many others earn millions telling people where happiness is and how to get there.

[As appeared on The Star Tribune] Time and time again in the Bible, the people of God share their stories and the stories of God’s people. This is an important part of how God ministers to His people. Our tendencies to forget who we are, to forget who God is, and to forget what He has done for us are pervasive. When we remind each other of our stories and God’s stories, we start to take on the perspective that God has for us. It is difficult to feel alone when we remember all the times God has been by our side. It is difficult to feel afraid when we remember everything God has saved us from. It is difficult to feel unloved when we remember where we came from and what God sacrificed to get us to where we are.

Surrender is one of the most difficult words in our Christian walk. It can feel good to sing, “I Surrender All,” but it can leave us wondering why we do not surrender more of ourselves and our lives to God.