Everyone – politicians, people in business, and you and me – face the temptation to make ourselves look good and to think that we are solely responsible for who we are. Giving thanks to God can help us gain some perspective and avoid hubris. Here are some things you can thank God for.

Developing a habit of gratitude can rewire your brain and change your life and the lives of others. Take a look at this video to see gratitude in action (warning: it will put a smile on your face but might also tug at your heart). And consider these ideas for how to give thanks.

God loves you more than the birds, more than the moon and stars, more than you can imagine. Listen to Matthew West as he expresses these truths in his powerful song “More.” Then accept and embrace God's love, and shine brightly.

I was blessed with wonderful parents whose default position was to say Yes if they could. Jesus modeled the Yes mindset. Those who refuse to provide SNAP benefits for the hungry show a No mindset. We all have to decide whether we approach life with a Yes mindset or a No mindset, and for whose benefit we are most likely to say Yes.

I was watching a movie last night, and a character explained something bad that happened by saying, "It was God's will." Christians sometimes say this. But, while God allows evil, he does not cause evil, and evil is never his will.  We need to be more precise in our language and ask the right questions.

God doesn’t force us to let him be part of our lives. Read this wonderful poem by Thomas Edward Brown, touted by Madeleine L’Engle, that calls us to make room for him so that he can fill us with himself. Are we too full of ourselves to make a space for him? “If thou could'st empty all thyself of self....”

Les Misérables director John Caird says, "As a bunch of liberal humanists, we had tried to avoid every mention of religion, [but] sewing God into the show was what animated the characters." We have the same opportunity: to let God sew himself into the fabric of our lives so that he animates our character and gives life to everything we do.

You’ve probably heard the words “faith, hope, and love” together many times. Take this 6-question quiz to see how much you know about them. Who was the first person to talk about “faith, hope, and love” (Shakespeare? the Bible?) and what do they mean?

My family spent a day in Muir Woods National Monument, the home of giant redwood trees that are spectacular not just because they are tall, but also because of their variety and character, which tell us something about God and ourselves. The bark of each tree is unique, as is each tree's roots. Each human is also different on the surface and below. Every tree and human is designed to honor the glory of God. Can we delight in the bark of every tree, and the skin of every perso

What difference can a bell make? The atomic bomb that killed 74,000 people in Nagasaki permanently silenced one of the two bells of the city’s Urakami Cathedral. Thanks to James Nolan, exactly 80 years later a replacement bell rang out for the first time, a gift from Christians as a tangible act of peacemaking and solidarity. How can you or I be a peacemaker?

Many political leaders and social influencers show mercy only to people they agree with. That isn’t what Jesus meant by “Blessed are the merciful.” Can we show mercy consistently in our social media and politics, even to those we don’t agree with?

In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.” Mercy is compassion in action. How can we show mercy to others? How can our government treat people with mercy, and in what ways is it failing?

In the Beatitudes, Jesus challenges us to hunger for righteousness – to have a deep desire to do what is right.  But how do we know we have the right goals and are pursuing them in the right ways?

Jesus calls us to a different set of values than we see from many star performers and political and business leaders.  Christians are called to live in God’s realm, even as we also live in the world. (Matthew 5:1-12)

Black people have provided lessons in fortitude, character, and excellence that all Americans can benefit from. Attacks on diversity and inclusion discourage access to these stories. Here are some of the role models we can learn from, including Diane Nash and Medgar Evers.

Everyone faces temptations. We want something, or something makes us angry. Desire and anger are not necessarily evil. The issue is what we do with them. When Jesus was tempted, he showed us how to deal with temptation. The first step is to decide who we are living for. The second step is to know the Word of God.

In the Scriptures, the apostle Paul uses the terms "faith, hope, and love" as action words, not as abstract concepts. He talks about the “work of faith,” the “labor of love,” and our “endurance in hope.” How do we put these virtues into action?

These 3 churches have different missions, ranging from transformation and renewal to sanctuary. St. Paul's Cathedral finds a way to be true to its mission amid the bustle of tourists, encouraging people to encounter the transforming presence of Jesus. Christ Church London uses worship music to support its focus on mission. The Catholic Church of St. James sees itself as a haven from modernity. Although the Body of Christ is not united, God is at work.

The apostle Paul shows how to pray for others: that they may abound in love for all and that God may strengthen them to live a life devoted to God’s purposes (1 Thess. 3:12-13). Could you pray that prayer for someone?

In Proverbs 31:8-9, God calls us to speak out for those who have no voice. Who needs our voice? To whom shall we speak? What shall we say? How can we put this Bible passage about justice into action?