Sometimes in life, everything that can go wrong does. We all deal with many things daily, and when something unexpected happens, it can be debilitating. During times of stress and uncertainty, we must remember the things promised.

Six Words That Changed My Marriage - PLUS Devotional

How Can Christians Overcome the Darkness of Life?

The United States is breaking records for the greatest political divide in our nation’s history. You might assume we’re talking about Democrats and Republicans, or progressives and conservatives—but these divides aren’t the most concerning in our generation. Do you want to know what is? Males and females. The gender gap in political ideology with Gen Z is wider than it has ever been in previous generations. As co-authors and siblings, we have a theory for why that is and how the church might become a light amid this chaos. Why Men and Women Are Separating The average Gen-Z female is now 30 percentage points more liberal than the average Gen-Z male. Moreover, males are 13 percentage points more likely than females to say religion is “very important” in their lives. Men and women are finding their way to separate silos, and increasingly, we’re unwilling to be with one another at all. How wonderful that we can hop on our screens and escape! That’s exactly the point. This divide isn’t primarily caused by feminism. It’s not rooted in “toxic masculinity.” Rather, the natural physiological and psychological differences between men and women are being amplified by one dominant force: the digital realm. The natural physiological and psychological differences between men and women are being amplified by one dominant force: the digital realm. It’s easy to see why: Marriage has stopped being an expected goal for adults. Dating apps remove personal interaction. Pornography is free and widespread. AI companions affirm us. Why endure discomfort? Why encounter the other at all when a screen will reflect exactly what you want? Gen Z males may be the first generation of men in history to feel as though their physical strength is irrelevant in everyday life. Yet the rising use of testosterone and other supplements suggests the image of strength still matters. Even if our sedentary culture dulls distinctions in physical differences, they emerge powerfully online. Gen Z men are statistically far more likely to gravitate toward informational and confrontational platforms like X, YouTube, or long-form podcasts in the “manosphere.” In contrast, women often prefer to gather around the aesthetic, relational, and emotional messaging on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest. Words build worlds. Sadly, young men and women are living in different ones. Yet for all their virtual promises, our six-inch screens ultimately serve to make us more alone. When the Pendulum Swings The explosion of the #MeToo movement revealed male abuses of power in ways the world had never collectively witnessed. In a redemptive use of technology, a generation of women bonded together, exposing horrible crimes committed against them. But as so often happens in the age of social media, rhetoric continued to escalate. Masculinity itself became problematic. Instead of calling men to rise up as righteous, holy, and sexually pure, some squashed masculinity wholesale, and our generation spent formative years being taught that to be biologically male is to be “toxic.” Yet even now, we can feel the polarized pendulum swing back. Young men, exhausted by this honor/shame culture, increasingly cast “progressive” women and feminists as villains. They’re encouraged by a wave of reactionary, sexist influencers. These voices are the extremes. The more likely (and subtly dangerous) reality for most of our generation is that instead of getting angry at the other sex, we ignore them altogether. But when either side ignores the other, the worst possible outcome follows: We move away from each other. We forget that the fall of one sex is the fall of both. We forget that the fall of one sex is the fall of both. Male domination of women and female denigration of men both lead to societal decay. Many are beginning to recognize that, beyond AI or geopolitics, one of the greatest threats to Western civilization is the breakdown of male-female unity. When we abandon God’s design for diverse, embodied, complementary lives, we don’t become free—we become cursed (Gal. 5:13). So men and women hide in their screens, lonelier than ever. First Political Divide and Loneliness God’s solution to the problem of loneliness wasn’t an idea, cause, or movement—it was a person (Gen. 2:18). Her name was Eve. Together, male and female were made in the image of God. Sin soon fractured the relationship between man and woman (3:16), creating the first political divide: tension between the sexes that has endured ever since. Competition with the other always ends in isolation. It’s no coincidence that at the height of male-female dysfunction, we’re in a loneliness epidemic. John Milton captures this dysfunction vividly in Paradise Lost, describing the “fruitless hours” Adam and Eve spend deflecting blame, searching for external causes, and refusing responsibility for their brokenness. Thousands of years later, not much has changed, but this is precisely where the church can step in. Family of Differences—Not Divides This issue has always hit close to home for us (literally). Our parents are opposites in every way. Mom is dramatic; Dad is calm. She’s loud; he’s quiet. She processes verbally; he internally. She’s unmistakably feminine; he’s classically masculine. Once, during a massive argument, Mom (true to form) locked herself in the bedroom, sobbing. Dad couldn’t unlock the door. So he walked around the house, spotted an open window, snagged a two-story ladder, climbed into the bedroom, and went to her as we watched from the driveway below. Instead of letting this conflict lead to separation, he fought for unity. All while his six kids watched on. Their opposite natures often led to arguments, but they taught us that conflict isn’t always the enemy. Conflict can drive us toward deeper understanding, appreciation, and friendship when we work through it. Isolation is the enemy. It would’ve been so easy for Dad to roll his eyes and hop on his phone, for Mom to drown her sorrows in Hallmark movies, and for us kids to be tossed in a room with some screens, well out of the way. Instead, as a family we watched (and haven’t forgotten) the coming together of two opposite people in all their biological and emotional differences. True Family of Differences The greatest political divide, both now and for all human history, is the male-female divide. Therefore, friendship between men and women—which crescendos in marriage—is a symbol of the cosmic healing of the first wound of the whole world. The body of Christ, the church, was always meant to be the family where these wounds truly heal. In Christ, even our differences draw us to others. Somehow, in God’s economy, opposites attract. The church cannot neglect facilitating male-female friendships—especially covenant marriages. Male-female unity helps us believe in God. It gives us reference for a Person utterly other who somehow always wants us and lovingly partners with us to bring life. It helps us see that male and female differences can exist into unity. Male-female friendships teach us to see one another as essential—a mysterious and different type of person, but not a threat. So maybe one of the best ways to address politics in our churches is to address the male-female divide. Gen Z and Gen Alpha need help interacting with the opposite sex. The church can be the place where that help is found. Sundays, weekday events, camps, retreats—these increasingly rare spaces of interpersonal encounter can become the best ground for emphasizing both male-female distinctiveness and also male-female unity. Maybe one of the best ways to address politics in our churches is to address the male-female divide. Churches should consider banning digital distractions and facilitating environments where men and women are confronted with the otherness of the opposite sex. This could look like casual coed hangouts, swing dancing (where there’s no option but to partner up with the opposite sex), worship songs with male and female parts, or games that intentionally make males and females work together. But the load isn’t just on church leadership; it’s on us, the members. Despite feeling vulnerable without screens, Christians are charged to resist the curse, to allow ourselves to be drawn out of hiding and toward otherness—toward unity (1 Cor. 12:12–27). After all, how will the world see Christ if not by our love for one another (John 13:35)?

The Protestant Reformation began as a debate about repentance. The first of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses states, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ . . . he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Luther was responding directly to the mistaken teaching that Jesus was referring to the sacrament of penance. Five centuries later, amid the bustle of modernity, it’s easy for evangelicals to forget how important repentance is to the Christian life. Since it’s significant to Jesus, we know it should be important to us. But repentance can feel more like a duty than a delight. It often seems more like eating our vegetables than enjoying a Thanksgiving feast. Scripture, however, paints repentance in a positive light. Whether the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), Levi’s feast (5:27–32), or the angels rejoicing over sinners who repent (15:10), the Bible consistently describes repentance as a reason to give thanks. In The Way of Repentance: Embracing God’s Gift for a Transformed Life, Chris Brauns, pastor of Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, Illinois, argues that true repentance unto life leads to abiding gladness. Brauns reminds us that sin is significant, but also that repentance opens the door to fullness of joy. Repentance Leads to Joy A lot is at stake when we use the word “repentance.” Brauns helpfully starts with the time-tested definition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.” According to this definition, repentance isn’t a burden; it’s a gift. It comes from an external source and is used by God to grant us eternal life. Repentance also produces joy in the recipient. Repentance isn’t a burden; it’s a gift. Unlike most gifts we receive from our friends and family, we get to open the gift of repentance again and again. Brauns writes, “Christians should repent in an ongoing way—that is, repentance and faith are not only the way into the Christian life but also the way of the Christian life” (86). Repentance is never-ending as we identify specific sins that remain and pursue refreshment and joy in Christ’s forgiveness for them. Repentance isn’t a sacrament that requires mediation from a priest. Instead, it’s something we practice through the ordinary means of grace: Scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. Every Sunday gathering, we can open this gift. Every time we open the Bible, we can ask God to give us joy as we repent again and walk again in faith. Biblical repentance can’t be structured according to a specific set of rules (contra Roman Catholic canon law), because that process only looks at the external action. Joy-inducing repentance begins with a change of heart and ends with a change in practice. Repentance Rightly Defined Anything valuable is going to have counterfeits. Repentance is no exception. For example, in our culture, public figures tend to issue public apologies after bad behavior. The pattern is so prevalent that people have begun to compare the aesthetic of apology videos to evaluate the degree of sincerity. We know this sort of repentance is a counterfeit because often the person apologizing can’t explain what she’s repenting of beyond offending her audience. Brauns helps us see what repentance looks like in its various forms. Sometimes repentance happens in a flash. For example, after a lifetime’s worth of sibling rivalry, selfishness, and sexual immorality, Judah comes to his sentence in a dramatic confrontation and says, “She is more righteous than I” (Gen. 38:26). In that moment, the grace of God breaks through, and Judah is truly repentant. Not even a man who had racked up years of disobedience is beyond the possibility of repentance. Sometimes repentance takes time as we wrestle with our deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9), which presents self-pity as a substitute for repentance. In contrast, Paul reminds the Corinthian church that true repentance results in earnest, godly grief (2 Cor. 7:8–11). As Brauns notes, “A careful study of this passage shows that the central quality of authentic repentance is that it features earnest productivity” (123). Turning from sin, which can happen in a moment, is proven by faithfulness across years and decades. True repentance stands in stark contrast to worldly grief, which has a short shelf life. Someone may feel bad for making a big mistake, but he doesn’t follow through with the changed life that repentance demands (Heb. 12:16–17). That’s why so many celebrity apologies feel fake. They don’t reflect real repentance; they’re damage control to protect the next contract. Real repentance goes much deeper. It’s a gift from God that leads to change, and that change points to joy. Repentance Goes to Church We should be more concerned with evaluating our own repentance than that of others. That evaluation takes patience, humility, and a willingness to observe the fruit in our lives. Though we may shed tears over the consequences of our sin, we should seek to bear fruit consistent with real repentance over time. Yet Christians also have a responsibility to help others come to repentance. When someone is caught in sin, we should “restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal. 6:1). Repentance is a gift that may produce sudden change or may require repeated, patient reminders. We need to understand that ongoing repentance bears fruit over time, so we can help others cultivate that sort of fruit in their lives. Christians also have a responsibility to help others come to repentance. Brauns offers a timely resource for Christians living in a culture that mistakes shallow apologies for real repentance. The sample prayers he includes in each chapter can help readers learn how to articulate repentance, and the resources he recommends offer fodder for deeper study. Evaluating repentance rightly requires great patience, humility, and a willingness to say, “I don’t know; let’s wait and observe the fruit.” The person who sheds many tears may be truly repentant when she’s caught in a sinful act. Yet it’s prudent to observe earnest productivity before casting judgment. Luther was right. Repentance runs through the whole of the Christian life, not just its beginning. The Way of Repentance equips Christians to make repentance a joyful practice before the face of God.