What does the Bible say about having a teachable spirit?
Jesus Christ refers to His followers as “disciples,” a term that means “learners,” making teachability an important characteristic of Christians. According to the Bible, the mind, which is central to learning, isn’t a blank slate at birth because sin has blinded, hardened, and perverted it (2 Corinthians 4:4; 3:14; Romans 1:28). Its corrupt condition is…
What does the Bible say about keeping secrets?
A secret can be difficult to keep and equally difficult to share. Yet life seems to run on secrets, from concealing birthday presents to obscuring a difficult past to protecting the whereabouts of an important political figure. The Bible teaches, indirectly, that keeping secrets can be either good or bad, but it does not clearly…
What does the Bible say about popularity?
We all crave acceptance by others. Babies are socialized by learning to read the cues from those they want to please and adjusting their behaviors accordingly. However, when we seek most of our validation and self-worth from the opinions of other people, we are on the wrong path. Popular opinion changes like the breeze, and…
What does the Bible say about compromise?
To compromise is to make concessions or accommodations for someone who does not agree with a certain set of standards or rules. There are times when compromise is good and right—compromise is a basic skill needed in marriage, for example, and in other situations in which keeping the peace is more desirable than getting one’s…
What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is best defined by Jesus Himself: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26–28).…
What does the Bible say about compassion?
The Hebrew and Greek words translated “compassion” in the Bible mean “to have mercy, to feel sympathy and to have pity.” We know that, according to the Bible, God is “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). Like all of God’s attributes, His compassion is infinite and…
What does it mean to be empathic?
The word empath comes from the word empathy, which is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” An empathetic person is one who can intuitively sense what someone else feels and imagine what it would be like to feel those feelings. An empathic person, on the other hand, is one…
What does the Bible say about self-sacrifice / being self-sacrificial?
Self-sacrifice is one of the major themes of the New Testament. Jesus modeled it for us in the way He lived. Though He was God, He did not demand His rights as God, but demonstrated servant leadership in everything He did (Philippians 2:6–8). He said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be first must be…
What does the Bible say about friends?
Human beings were created to be relational, and friendships are an important part of our lives. We need friends—people we bond with in mutual affection. But not just any friend will do; having the right friends is key, and discernment is required: “The righteous choose their friends carefully” (Proverbs 12:26). In Scripture, we see what…
What does the Bible say about caregiving?
In the world of professional health care, caregiving involves the detection, deterrence, or treatment of any type of illness by a doctor, nurse, or other health care worker. However, a caregiver can also be anyone who provides assistance and support to a family member or friend who has physical, psychological, or developmental needs. Caregiving is…