Can You Control Yourself?
I loved Wright’s article on self-control. Scientific, realistic, and hopeful, and applicable to so many domains!
@AbigailFair
I resonate with all four of the strategies for self-control put forth by Bradley Wright and David Carreon. Perhaps a fifth strategy would be to remember how self-control translates across all of life. In other words, if I’m disciplined in my eating, I will have better success with chastity, and so on.
Gideon Yutzy Hutchinson, KS
There has been a bit of a revolution in this area of social psychology, and many people who study self-control and willpower are becoming convinced that the ego depletion theory of self-control was incorrect. The biggest problem with the theory is that the experimental effect doesn’t replicate. Self-control is neither muscle nor battery, and it does not deplete. Self-control only appears to wane because priorities change. It is much more like an emotion (radical idea), in which one approach to developing self-control is strengthening the ability to tolerate the aversive emotion of ambivalence when faced with competing priorities.
Joel Hughes Professor of clinical psychology, Kent State University Kent, OH
What to Make of Donald Trump’s Soul
“What to Make of Donald Trump’s Soul” gave me pause and a path to restoring my own soul. Since Donald Trump’s election, I have lived in a state of disbelief and anxiety which has been exacerbated by the path he has taken on immigration, the environment, and now health care. For 35 years, I worked in health care and I can say with certainty that my children’s families will all be adversely affected by the new health care bill, with potential loss of both health care and jobs, as will millions of other families. This article helped me refocus on the fact that we are all children of God, making mistakes and needing mercy, but above all it was a reminder that God is still in control and needs us as the conduit for loving “Christ-like” change.
Linda Eifert Berwick, PA
Well said. Concerning satire, I’ve always followed the rule laid down by an old college professor: “I only pick on those I love.” If I have trouble loving someone, it’s better if I refrain from jokes, satire, and teasing.
Andrea Giesbrecht
I thought this a challenging—in some ways refreshing—biblically balanced piece on Trump and faith.
@derekhiebert
I won’t defend President Trump’s personality or character. I do, however, encourage fellow Christians everywhere to consider that Trump didn’t run for Christian of the Year—he ran for the presidency. No one should expect him to answer an altar call because he courted evangelicals in the campaign. And lest you forget, this verbose, thin-skinned, vindictive man has made protecting the lives of the unborn a priority. Maybe that’s not as stylish as environmental or immigration issues, but it is of the highest priority for many believers.
Tim Hanson Hanover, MN
How to Overcome Sibling Rivalry p. 32
My wife and I are both only children and only had a vague idea of how sibling interactions really worked. We ended up having four kids of our own, all adults now. Not sure if we can take much credit, but they all seem to really enjoy each other’s company. It’s gratifying to hear about the stuff they do together that doesn’t involve their mom and me. Lots of wisdom in this article.
Henry Heerschap
This a really great article! I did much of this with my three sons, and now in their 20s, they are very good friends.
Cynthia Alvarez
The Calling of the Infertile Who Hope
I’m not crazy about the implication that couples who wish to pursue treatment should instead embrace “permanent barrenness” in order to be an object lesson for the church. It is God who makes children, both through treatment and otherwise. We learn a lot from illness, too, but that doesn’t mean we need to avoid treating it.
Alison Dellenbaugh
We left a church in part because they could not find a place for us as we struggled with conceiving and grief in the midst of that struggle. When we found our current church, a loving, wise, wonderful woman prayed for me. At the time, her prayer scared and offended me because she prayed that I would not be caught up in the lie that we are only blessed by God when we bear children. She prayed that I would not find my worth in my fertility and that I would see that a family can be made up of two people. How well we know that cup of mourning.
Amy Mingo St. Anthony, MN
Radical Islam Is Not the Nigerian Church’s Greatest Threat
As a Nigerian and practicing Christian, I have observed and seen everything that was described in this article. Modern-day Christianity in Nigeria is scary, and it will take the intervention of God to turn things around.
Julius Osula Boston, MA
