This Is Not Easy

But know this: difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of religion but denying its power.  Avoid these people!  – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

National media, social media, and entertainment media incarnate these realities to us, daily.

It is a frightening time to be a parent. A frightening time to think of getting married or starting a family.

It is easy to lose hope. Easy to become paralyzed by fear. Easy to give up.

But we cannot!

We are God’s People. We are priest-kings and priest-queens of a profoundly more ancient and steadfast Kingdom. And we are resolute in adventuring – with our tribes – further into that Kingdom reality!

We must not give up and let the culture around us shape our soul and the soul of our people! We must not keep religion that is merely doctrine we agree with. We must live as God's People. We must incarnate Him to our families and to the world.

Your visible struggle to create goodness and redemption – the struggle itself – is a radical discipleship of your family. They are watching the way you live more than what you say. They are watching how much you are willing to strive.

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness (and timidity)
but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
– 2 Timothy 1:7

God has shown you areas in your life and in the life of your family where He wants to redeem and create new goodness. No matter the past, He longs for you to get up each day and live that adventure in His Spirit and strength.