Content & Content

Manipulation or Motivation? Lessons on Godly Persuasion from Philemon

“But it is always good to be zealous in good,” Paul wrote to the Galatian believers (4:18), and “Never be lacking in zeal“ he wrote to Christians in Rome (12:11). If Paul was anything, he was a zealous guy. And if I’m anything, I’m a zealous girl. And persuasiveness comes with the territory. It goes way back. What category did my high school forensics coach suggest? Was it Impromptu or Farrago or Play Acting or Poetry? No it was Oratory— in which “a good oration is characterized by vivid and forceful language”—was the speech for me. As a natural persuader who is also constrained by the love of Christ, I desire to motivate, not manipulate. But when exactly does friendly persuasion morph into egocentric manipulation? How can we tell—not so much when others have crossed it, but when we have transgressed the line? A satisfying answer came in an unexpected place: in the apostle Paul’s 335-word letter to his friend Philemon. In this episode, Abigail explores how Paul motivates Philemon to do the right thing, and how it’s not so much what you say or how you say it, but why that matters most. Read the transcript and get the related links here: https://www.abigailwallace.com/manipulation-or-motivation-lessons-on-persuasion-from-philemon/ [https://www.abigailwallace.com/manipulation-or-motivation-lessons-on-persuasion-from-philemon/]

No Magic Words: One More Reason to Love God More

🍿This is a true story. A true buttery story. A true real buttery story. I didn’t see it coming. But it makes me love God more. Do you have your own “magic words” story? And if you do, doesn’t it make you love the Lord more? 5 Psalms That Assure Us That God Hears Our Prayers—Without Magic Words The Bible, and the Psalms in particular, are replete with assurance that God hears his children’s prayers. These five are a great encouragement to me. 1. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. Psalm 138:3 2. For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him, but has listened to his cry for help. Psalm 22:24 3. As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me; morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. Psalm 55:16-17 4. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; will rescue him and honor him. Psalm 91:15 5. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear. Psalm 10:17 Over and over and over the psalm writers model for us their trust that God hears their prayer, whatever the words. If you’d like to go deeper, Lauren Iseli’s Planted in the Psalms podcast. Her verse by verse commentary on Psalms 1-58 with printable discussion guides are available here [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/planted-in-the-psalms/id1604001279?i=1000701220869]. We Don’t Need Magic Words With God Thankfully, there are no magic words with God. God is clear. He calls us to speak plainly, to him and to others. He calls us to simply let our yes be yes. He neither commends fancy words, nor a flourish of words to impress, or in hope of hitting on the magic ones. In fact, just before Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he said, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Friends, if you are in Christ, you already have God’s ear. The Lord hears the humble (Psalm 10:17). He does not listen to those who cherish sin (Psalm 66:18). But there’s no secret formula. There are no magic words with God. And doesn’t that make you love him more? 🔗 Full post with related links [https://www.abigailwallace.com/blog/].

Content & Content

G.K. Chesterton said, ” True contentment is a thing as active as agriculture. It is the power of getting out of any situation all that there is in it. It is arduous and it is rare.” In his essay, “The Contented Man” he explains how “sweet content” and “cubic content” are more related than you think they are. In this podcast Abigail shares some of that essay and how it is shaping her and helping grow more content. And how really, it all boils down to knowing Christ. Please check out abigailwallace.com for the blog post complete with all the contentment links.

Don’t Let the If-Birds Nest on Your Head

“I cannot keep the sparrows from flying about my head, but I can keep them from making a nest in my hair.” Martin Luther reportedly said that. In this episode, I explore how I woke up one morning with joy-stealing birds flapping around my head and I tell how I fought them off. I also share how IF-ONLY and SELF-PITY flock together, and how they are a dangerous combo. You can read the post and find all the 🔗 at AbigailWallace.com. Strong grace to you, friend!

God’s Love Delays

Abigail grapples with James 5:11 and John 11:5-6, two texts that talk about God’s purpose in our suffering and why sometimes he makes us wait. Here’s the podcast link for John Piper’s message on John 11:1-6, including that definition of love: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/even-when-it-hurts