IIW Blog
2 Kingdom of God Truths about Pain
As much as we try to ignore it, we all have pain in our lives. And we all touch the pain, one way or another, for better or worse, in each other’s lives. Yet as universal as pain is, we typically don’t talk about it, for a couple of good reasons. First and most obvious,...Read the Post→
Honor Is the Currency of the Kingdom of God
Honor is the currency of the Kingdom of God. It’s different from the currency of the world. In the world, if I want to increase my bank account, I need to hoard it. I need to not let you get any. I need to keep it for myself to increase my bank account. But the...Read the Post→
Healthy Relationships Need Conflict
For a long time, I thought one of the beatitudes was, “Blessed are the peace keepers…” But that’s not what Jesus said. He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” There’s a huge difference between keeping the peace and making peace. I can speak to this because I made this mistake for decades in my own life....Read the Post→
How to Break the Busy Badge
In our society, we wear busyness like a badge of honor. How many conversations go like this: “How are you doing?” “Oh, I’m so busy!” “I know, right? Me too!” Ever have conversations where you try to out-busy the other person? Where whoever is the most busy wins? Somehow, I think we’re missing something here....Read the Post→
Why You Are Not Defined by Your Actions
Our neighborhood’s polling place is the local elementary school. When I voted in the last election, I saw a huge banner hanging in the school cafeteria that read, “You Are Defined by Your Actions.” Nothing could be further from the truth. I get it. The school is trying to instill good behavior. That’s a good,...Read the Post→
The 4 Things You Need to Thrive
Thriving. Not just surviving. Is that even possible? Believe it or not, yes, it is possible. And it’s actually not that hard, which is really counter-intuitive when you’re just trying to keep your head above water in survival mode. But you can’t get there by trying harder, which, although counter-intuitive, is really good news. Thriving...Read the Post→
How to Partner with Your Body and God to Get the Sleep You Need
Sleep is a spiritual practice. Honoring the sleep your body needs is a spiritual non-negotiable. It’s stewarding the temple of your body well. But honoring your season of life is also a non-negotiable. And in some seasons of life, like parenting small children, sleep seems like a luxury. These non-negotiables can be at odds with...Read the Post→
Are Your Parts Acting Up?
So often we shame our “bad” emotions. You know the ones – sadness, fear, anger, shame, etc. And, too often, we use the Bible to do it, something God’s Word was never intended for. “Are you sad? You know James 1:2, ‘Consider pure joy when you face trials’! So just choose joy!” “Are you angry?...Read the Post→
Why You’re Not Broken
When we’ve been deeply hurt, and we see the patterns caused by that hurt reoccurring again and again in our lives, we often write a script for ourselves. That script is called, “Broken.” It’s a label we put on ourselves. Or worse, maybe it’s a label people we love and trust have put on us....Read the Post→
How Not to Think a Thought
Self-doubt. Nagging fears. Intrusive thoughts. These are some of the most common experiences in the human condition. And some of the most hidden and denied. Because we all think we’re the only one. Is there any hope? Is there a way to stop the negative thought loop once the thoughts have started? Is there any...Read the Post→