“The hardness such pietism causes in marriage requires a jackhammer, not a feather duster. The only high standards that are at all spiritually safe are standards that are born from gratitude, thanksgiving, and gladness and simplicity of heart (Acts 2:46). Grace is foundational, and so the higher you want the structure to go, the more …
Amazingly Toxic
“As a marriage counselor, I have seen more than a few marriages in which husbands and wives had ‘high standards’ for Christian conduct, and yet tolerated and advanced amazingly toxic attitudes in the home” (For a Glory and a Covering, p. xvi).
The Speed Limit Sign Is Not Attached to Your Brake Pedal
“‘Standards,’ including very high standards, by themselves do not provide any power for living up to them” (For a Glory and a Covering, p. xv).
But How Does the Letter Kill?
“Now what does he mean when he says the ‘letter kills’? Paul is clearly not arguing against ever writing things down, for his argument that the letter kills and the Spirit gives life is an argument that he himself wrote down. The issue is therefore not ‘the letters’ in themselves. The issue is not paper …
Utterly Inconsistent
“Marriage is a glorious thing, and this truth has ramifications. There were two aspects of the Israelite camp in the wilderness that ought never go together: the Shekinah glory in the sky and the grumbling on the ground. Far too many Christian marriages are like this. Husbands and wives complain and moan in the midst …
Missing Gratitude
“Arthur Herman argued that the Scots actually invented the modern world. In a sense, the Westminster Assembly invented the Scots who did this remarkable thing. A theological assembly in London wrote a spiritual constitution for the people who were like the kitchen workers at a huge banquet — behind the scenes, making everything possible” (5 …
Ugly Pills
“Remember that being discontented is like taking ugly pills, and they are addictive — you will find yourself still taking them even after you get married” (For a Glory and a Covering, p. xiii).
Discontent Is Portable
“Discontent is very rarely fixd by rearranging the furniture or by walking from over here to over there. Wherever you go, there you are” (For a Glory and a Covering, p. xii).
An Exuberant Group
“And the Puritans loved the arts, wore brightly colored clothing, smoked and drank, and loved making love to their wives. They were an exuberant group, full of, as the French might say, les beans” (5 Cities, p. 138).
And With No Way to Find That Out
“The great problem with discontented people (and that means discontented husbands and wives) is that they are the most unteachable people on earth” (For a Glory and a Covering, p. xii).