By: Mark McCrindle
As we look to the future of marketing and the future consumer, the task is to adapt the tools, not truths. By elevating timeless human needs in timely ways, organisations can navigate disruption with a proactive disposition that energises others.
I was listening to a podcast recently, and the speaker shared about a near-death experience they had been through. One of the things she mentioned was that we live life in the small moments, the ups and downs, the mundane.
Read more: Finding Contentment in Life’s Mundane Moments
That line really stayed with me. As someone who has struggled to find contentment over the years, always coming up with the next big plan, it rings true. I think her perspective may be the key to fully embracing rest. I have at times led our family down paths we can’t afford, both financially and mentally, due to my desire to chase the next exciting dream. Living in the present, slowing down to find joy in the everyday moments, could be a key to feeling rested even when life is busy. Continually chasing the high moments in search of meaning can’t lead to lasting peace. It leads to hustle culture and an inability to slow down.
If we live for the highs, we never see the beauty in the tiny steps along the way. Life isn’t lived just on the mountaintops. We don’t just live it in the big occasions and grand celebrations. We live life in the laughter of a toddler and the smile of a stranger as you pass them by in the street. It’s in having a great cup of coffee in the morning and waking up thankful for all you have. Life is lived in the day-to-day, when you catch up with a friend or complete a project at work. It’s lived in the fight with your spouse, but then remembering why you still choose them every day. Every single day is made up of a thousand small moments, some good and some bad.
Contentment can be found in the day-to-day, the mundane. There can be joy in the good and the bad, not just the highs of life. It’s in learning to slow down and truly live in the small moments that we can embrace rest.
Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.
About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.
Feature image: Supplied (Lorrene McClymont)
By: Sam Chan
I live in a house with too much stuff. That means when friends come over, my wife and I move the stuff from our living room into our bedroom. But when the friends leave, we have to move the stuff off our bed back into the living room.
We never get rid of the stuff. We keep shuffling it around. Nothing changes.
Is that how life feels? Like we don’t get anywhere?
Every year at New Year’s Eve, there’s the promise of a fresh start. But by Easter time, the world is back to where it was. Worse, I’m back to where I was. I’m the same person. My life hasn’t gone anywhere.
Why can’t I be better? Sometimes I blame the universe. The universe itself isn’t getting any better. The universe is like my 20 year old car, which leaks oil onto my driveway. It creaks and groans when I drive it. That’s because its parts are grinding away and falling apart.
If this universe isn’t getting any better, then what chance do I have of getting better? But what if there’s another way?
If you ever have any computer problems, then what you need is a 14 year old in the family. Whenever my wife has problems with her computer she calls our son, who simply turns off her computer, counts to 10, and then turns it on. Taaa-Daaaah! In other words, our son reboots the computer, and it works again.
That’s exactly what Easter offers us. A reboot. Because something in us — and in our world — is deeply broken, and we can’t fix it on our own.
Maybe we know some of the facts of the Easter story? Jesus Christ, God himself, becomes one of us. He dies on a cross on Easter Friday. But he also rises back to life again on Easter Sunday.
What we might not know is that, when Jesus rose from the dead, it also rebooted the universe.
You see, when Jesus died on Easter Friday, it shut down the universe. Jesus, the Giver of Life, gives up his own life for us. God, the Maker of the Universe is dead. The lights are turned off. But when Jesus rises from the dead, back to life, on Easter Sunday, it reboots the universe. The lights are turned on again but … brighter than they were before.
It’s a reboot!
Recently, as a doctor, I did a refresher course on Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). So much has changed in CPR since I was a junior doctor many years ago. The biggest change is the invention of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) pads. Now, almost anyone can place AED pads on the heart attack victim, and the pads shock their heart back to life.
But Jesus does something even better than this. When Jesus rises from the dead, he kickstarts a new life for us and the world. Yes, Jesus rises from the dead with a new and better body. But he also begins the project of restoring this universe into a better universe – his Kingdom, which will be filled with his love, mercy, peace, and justice. And there’s the promise of a new life for us – which Jesus calls Eternal Life – which begins now and continues into the life-to-come.
Christians believe we need this supercharged reboot because our chief problem isn’t only that we’re ageing and crumbling. It’s that we’ve cut ourselves off from God, the source of life and all goodness. Being cut off from God shapes us on the inside and means that our hearts don’t naturally move toward what is true, good, and beautiful on their own.
But when Jesus rises from the dead, it kickstarts the universe back into the direction of what’s true, good, and beautiful. And if we put our trust in him, Jesus also kickstarts our “hearts” back into the right direction.
So how can we receive this supercharged rebooted life? The Bible tells us to respond to Jesus’ call.
Whenever I receive a phone call from a number that I don’t recognise, I ignore it. But recently I took a call from a number I didn’t recognise. I’m glad I did. It was a person reaching out to me who I hadn’t been in touch with for a while. By taking his call, I got connected with him, and received an unexpected boost.
In a similar way, Easter is God’s way of reaching out to us, offering us a reboot. God is initiating a connection with us. We can respond by accepting God’s Easter call, maybe in a prayer, and connecting with him. We can ask Jesus to kickstart our heart in the right direction.
For a long time, I’ve found New Year’s Eves to be depressing. My family and I watch the fireworks on our screens. But it’s never impressive. I’ve also been too lazy to go to the city, to fight the crowds, to see the fireworks in person. I’m locked in a cycle of being a victim of my own apathy.
Last New Year’s Eve, friends offered us free tickets to see the world famous fireworks at The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. At first I said no because I didn’t want to be in the crowds and heat.
But my family snapped me out of my cycle of half-heartedness and said “What are you thinking? Someone is offering us free tickets to see the fireworks. We have to go!” So we went. And I’m so glad we did. Imagine missing out on the fireworks when all I had to do was accept the tickets?
Every year we can stay locked in our cycle of apathy and sometimes even despair. How can we ever break out of this and become a better person?
Easter offers us the chance of a supercharged reboot. We can be filled with Jesus’ Spirit of resurrection – his life and power. We can have a new life – Eternal Life – which empowers us to a new and better life, both now and in the life-to-come. All we have to do is take the call.
About the Author: Sam is a theologian, preacher, author, evangelist, ethicist, cultural analyst and medical doctor.
Article supplied with thanks to Espresso Theology.
Feature image: Canva
By: Telana Sladen
For many people, introducing themselves sounds something like this: “Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a teacher,” or “I’m Mike, a builder.” Our work often becomes closely tied to who we believe we are. But is our job really meant to define our identity?
By: Bec Harris
When news breaks that a beloved celebrity has died, many people are surprised by how deeply it affects them. Even though we may never have met the person, the sadness can feel real and personal.
By: Helping Hands TV
When floodwaters reached a catastrophic 14.5 metres in Lismore in 2022, the city faced its worst natural disaster in recorded history. People woke in the night with water in their homes, forcing thousands to crawl onto roofs and wait to be rescued.
By: Michelle Nortje
Most of us would rather do anything than sit with painful feelings. We scroll, snack, overthink, or keep busy, because sitting with sadness, anger, or shame can often feel unbearable.
By: Jenifer Chu
We’ve all heard it: we are currently living through a “loneliness pandemic.” It sounds heavy, and it feels heavy. Even if your phone is blowing up with notifications, it’s still possible to feel like you’re drifting on an island.
We talk to people every day who feel that quiet ache of isolation. Usually, the advice is to “call your mom” or “go on a date.” But there is a massive, underrated secret to feeling connected that doesn’t involve a three-hour heart-to-heart: The Power of Weak Ties.
In the 1970s, a sociologist named Mark Granovetter realized that our social lives aren’t just made of “BFFs” and “Family.” We also have “Weak Ties”—the people in the lobby, the dog park, or the office kitchen.
Think of your Weak Ties as your “Casual Cast of Characters”:
They aren’t the people you’d call to help you move a couch at 6 AM, but they are the people who make you feel like you belong to the world.
You might think these 30-second interactions are “pointless,” but they are actually micro-doses of social caffeine. Here’s why they kick loneliness in the teeth:
You don’t need to be a social butterfly to do this. You just need to be 10% more present.
At Centre for Effective Living, we know that deep relationships are the bedrock of a happy life. But don’t sleep on the “little guys.” Those small, casual “hellos” weave a safety net that keeps us from falling into the gap of loneliness. So, next time you’re at the checkout, skip the self-scan. Talk to the human. Your brain will thank you.
Article provided with thanks to Centre For Effective Living
Jennifer MPsych (Clinical), PGDip ClinPsych, BA(Hons – First Class) is a psychologist who understands that a good therapeutic relationship is the starting point of any meaningful work with her clients.
Feature image: Canva
By: Alex Cook
It often surprises Christians when they discover just how much the Bible talks about money.
In fact, there are more than 2,300 verses on money, wealth and possessions. Jesus spoke about money roughly 15% of the time in his preaching, and 11 of his 39 parables. It was his most talked about topic.
This passage in Matthew gives us a clue:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21
Jesus spoke about money not because he was obsessed with it or wanted us to have lots of it, but because he knew that money was a heart issue and one of the most likely reasons someone would not follow him or give up on him.
The money you have in your wallet has no intrinsic value; it is worth what the Government says it is worth. It is essentially morally neutral and powerless. The Devil uses money to seduce us, and that is when it can become powerful in a negative direction. He wants you to fall in love with it so that you will become a slave to money rather than its master. The flip slide is when we use money as a tool to invest in God’s kingdom; money becomes a powerful instrument of good.
Think for a moment about contemporary society. How many people’s lives have been ruined because they have been seduced by money? They choose a job because of what it pays, not because of the fulfilment it provides. In Australia, one survey said that nearly 60% of people would quit their jobs tomorrow if they had more money. Their job choice and decision to remain are heavily influenced by money.
Money is essential because how we think about it affects how we behave with it. Taking this one step further, how we feel and behave with money reflects our spiritual condition. When we hoard money, or are envious of others’ money, or spend money we don’t have (debt), then there is a good chance we have been seduced!
Jesus presents us with a clear choice:
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 6:24
The issue is simple – who will we serve? Will we serve God or will we serve money? Notice Jesus said you ‘cannot’ serve both. It is impossible; it is one or the other, and all of us must choose. I heard it likened to trying to chase two rabbits at the same time – it can’t be done!
Why did Jesus make such a tough statement? Because he knew that our relationship with money would profoundly impact our relationship with God. If we worry about money, we won’t trust God. If we are chasing after money, then it’s doubtful that we’re chasing after God and trying to advance his kingdom.
As with the above verse, much of what God’s word says about money is a warning message. God wants nothing to come between him and us. Sometimes God prevents people from gaining wealth because he knows that it will harm them. He is not trying to deny them; he is trying to protect them.
Lastly, we have a culture drowning in debt. It is so widespread and so ingrained that very few people, believers and unbelievers alike, stop to consider the ramifications. It is not just a problem at the individual level, but also at the corporate and Government levels. The United States owes $60,000,000,000,000. This monumental sum cannot be repaid and therefore won’t be repaid. The verses on debt in the Bible are all warnings. The Bible warns us that debt can lead to slavery!
How true that is today.
Why does the Bible talk about money so often?
The Bible talks about money so often because money is closely connected to the heart. Jesus taught that where our treasure is, our heart will be there too. How we handle money reveals what we truly value and trust.
How many times does the Bible mention money?
The Bible contains more than 2,300 verses about money, wealth, and possessions. Jesus spoke about money frequently, around 15% of his teaching and in many of his parables.
Why did Jesus talk about money more than other topics?
Jesus talked about money because he knew it could easily take God’s place in people’s lives. Money has the power to influence decisions, priorities, and faith, making it a critical spiritual issue.
Is money considered evil in the Bible?
No. Money itself is morally neutral. It becomes harmful when people love it, chase it, or trust it more than God. When used wisely, money can be a powerful tool for good and for advancing God’s kingdom.
What does money reveal about a person’s spiritual condition?
How someone thinks, feels, and behaves with money often reflects their spiritual condition. Hoarding, envy, overspending, and debt can point to misplaced trust or unhealthy priorities.
Can Christians serve both God and money?
No. Jesus clearly said that no one can serve two masters. Christians must choose whether they will serve God or money. It cannot be both.
Why does the Bible warn so strongly about debt?
The Bible warns about debt because it can lead to bondage and loss of freedom. Scripture often describes debt as a form of slavery that places people under pressure and limits their ability to live generously and faithfully.
Why would God prevent someone from becoming wealthy?
Sometimes God may prevent wealth because He knows it could harm a person spiritually. This is not about punishment, but protection, so that nothing replaces God as the centre of their life.
Article supplied with thanks to Wealth with Purpose.
About the Author: Alex is a licensed financial planner and the founder of Wealth with Purpose a Stewardship Ministry that helps Christians handle their money God’s way.
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By: Laura Bennett
Valentine’s Day comes and goes with very little fanfare for the unmarried, uncoupled or uninterested, but without fail it fills our feeds with content about the reality of modern relationships and what you’re up against if you want a healthy one.
This week a book landed on my desk: a Christian approach to “bringing your romance fantasies into the real world”. Then, I was sent an article on “heterofatalism” (we’ll get to that), got a link to podcaster’s theories on declining birth rates, was reminded having a boyfriend is embarrassing now, and suffered through ads for whatever they’re doing on the new season of Married at First Sight.
The dating world these days really is a complex one. Even in the Christian sphere, agreed upon boundaries of what we’re looking for, how to behave, views on intimacy and the value of marriage itself are seemingly dissolving.
After overcoming the hurdle of meeting someone online or in person, you have to assess whether their framework for dating and relationships is the same as yours: are they a Christian who’s dismissed “traumatic purity culture” or do they still see sex as “sacred”? What gender roles do they support? Do they value monogamy in dating? Are they interested in marriage or is it too traditional for them? Can we just have fun hanging out? You cannot assume anything.
As a church-raised teen, marriage was painted as the pathway to greater purpose, family, sex and experiencing God’s ideal relational framework. If you weren’t married, the implication was you should prepare yourself for an unfinished form of life: childless, untouched and alone.
However, once you reach 25 and don’t have a husband and four kids, there’s a world beyond the one you were told was coming that you can’t ignore and have to figure out how to handle. You find joy in singleness. You find some God-fearing women chose solo IVF, adoption or fostering to have kids. That not all “Christian” men and women are nice people who make ideal partners. That independence isn’t horrible, and that in our Western society a spouse may help in having financial security but isn’t a necessity. We haven’t even touched on the variety of views on sex.
It’s a newfound awareness that can work against us: if we don’t “have to” have marriage anymore, do we still want it?
Yes, there’s still the predominant norm of school, study, job, partner, kids, holiday but there’s a growing “rebellion” against that and less judgement allowed of those who defect. We can be lazy in dating because, well, what does it matter if it goes nowhere?
Which brings me to “heterofatalism” – a phenomenon contributing to aforementioned defection.
The term expands on scholar Asa Sersin’s original definition of “heteropessimism” reflecting the resigned experience of – largely women – dealing with their coexisting desire for a male partner and disappointment in the process of finding one.
A few things need to be addressed here:
You don’t need to overcome your very human, very God-given need for connection, community and companionship. It doesn’t have to be found in a romantic context, but it’s OK if you want it to be found there. Total self-sufficiency is not our end goal.
I don’t want to exacerbate that narrative. For many reasons men – especially young ones – are having their roles in society redefined which, at its best, opens up space for inclusion and reflection but, at its worst, destabilises confidence and identity. Some guys do get things wrong in relationships. But us women do too.
Our feeds are filled with the same commentary, users on our apps ghost just as much, and we’re dating people who hear the same stories everyone else does about the changing relational landscape.
While we have the benefit of hope in a God who “ordained all our days before one of them came to be”, it also means we have bigger questions about why we haven’t met someone yet.
Unlike our “defeated secular counterparts” we can’t just blame “a terrible dating scene” for the husband we pray for still not being in our lives, or why one friend can meet their partner online in months and you can’t. Our answer to the (dumb, unnecessary and backhanded compliment) question of, “How are you still single?” feels dramatically existential.
We have to balance the fight in our minds between knowing it’s OK to be single, given some of the greatest biblical figures were – including Jesus himself – with the fact that God tells us He’ll grant us the desires of our heart and that for many that’s still marriage.
We live in a wait we don’t know will end: will our story be one of finding someone, or of accepting that not all prayers are answered in the way we want?
There’s no way of knowing for sure, and if you don’t see an end date to when you have to find this person by – first weddings happen at 50 friends – our hope only expires when we choose to let it.
Will you engage in the life you currently have while you press forward in building another one?
Will you delight in the coupling of friends while you’re still single?
Will you commit to seeing purpose in what’s in your hands without wishing for what could be?
Don’t believe the lie that a single life isn’t fulfilling or rich with God’s goodness, but don’t also fall into the trap of idolising self-sufficiency. You have God-given inherent value just as you are, but it is OK to want someone romantically to share your life with.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.
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