Justin Whimel Earley

A Nail Driven Out by Another Nail

A Nail Driven Out by Another Nail

Habits can be the worst. I grew up eating a bowl of ice cream after dinner every day. I kind of thought that’s what everyone did. As a skinny-as-a-rail kid engaged in all types of sports, that habit didn’t catch up to me until my freshman year of college when, with free access to a frozen yogurt maker and an assortment of unfairly delicious baked goods, I began to pack on the pounds.

 

Habits can be the best. Waking up every day by opening your Bible, going to the gym after work, or sharing family meals can be formative of a healthy life. They set on auto-repeat the beneficial things you want to be doing. They create productive ruts that can even reshape your desires.

This Week's Recommendations

This Week's Recommendations
  1. Fewer Americans Identify as Christians: In less than 15 years, a significant shift has occurred, “In 2007, almost eight in 10 U.S. adults (78%) identified as a Christian, according to a new Pew Research study. Since then, the share of Americans identifying with Christianity has steadily fallen, declining to 63% in 2021.The decline of Christians in the U.S. has been matched by a rise in the religiously unaffiliated. Their number has almost doubled since 2007—from 16% to 29%.

  2. Unlock the Power of Family Habits: Justin Whimel Earley offers practical advice for how to form a healthy spiritual life as a family. He says, “Habits are the little things we do over and over without thinking about them. And the tiny and subconscious nature of habits makes them powerful. Why? Because they create our “normal.” Normal life is what stays with you from January through December. Normal life is what shapes your kids, your body, your schedule, and your heart. The habits of the household are the engine of a family’s spiritual formation.”

  3. Please Be Gentle: Al Gooderham begins, “Gentleness is underrated and undervalued in the world and in the church. We prize power and authority and charisma. We want leaders who sound like TED talk speakers and who can capture our attention and hold it, leaders who are magnetic and whom we want to follow, who will impress our friends and family. Leaders who could do any number of jobs well and be recognized as leaders in their field. We also want to be that. We want all that because we have a Corinthian complex.”

  4. The Value of a Secure Identity: Lee Hutchings explains the blessings of having your identity secured in Christ. He begins with this truth, “Our identity in Christ gives us new focus: Regardless of what is happening around us or even to us, as Christians we know that this present world is not our final home.”

  5. Peacock Spiders, Dance for Your Life: Wow! This is wild.