2020-12-06
2 Korintiërs 5:21 NLV
Ghandi het een keer gesê: ‘Ek weier om toe te laat dat enigiemand met vuil voete deur my gedagtes loop.’ Dis egter presies wat ons doen wanneer ons na ou stemme van veroordeling luister.
‘n Gerespekteerde outeur skryf: ‘Negatiewe beskuldigings neem verskeie vorms aan. ‘Jy is nie so geestelik as wat jy moet wees nie… Jy het nie verlede week hard genoeg gewerk nie… God kan as gevolg van jou verlede jou nie seën nie.’ Dis leuens.
Ons hoef nie in veroordeling te lewe wanneer ons foute maak nie. Selfs Paulus het gesê: ‘Ek versuim die goeie wat ek so graag wil doen, maar die slegte wat ek nie wil nie, dít doen ek’ (Romeine 7:19 NLV). Daar is ‘n tyd om berou te hê en ‘n tyd om dit af te skud en vorentoe te beweeg. Jy kan nie die verlede verander nie. As jy vandag in skuld lewe oor gister, sal jy nie die krag hê om in oorwinning te lewe nie. Die Bybel sê: ‘…trek God se vryspraak as borsharnas aan’ (Efesiërs 6:14 NLV). Die borsharnas beskerm jou hart, die kern van jou wese, die manier waarop jy oor jouself dink en voel. As jy dink: ‘Ek het nie veel van ‘n toekoms nie. Ek het te veel foute gemaak. God sal nie tevrede met my wees nie,’ is dit ‘die aanklaer’ wat praat en hy het geen gesag oor jou nie.’
God sê dat die aanklaer ‘neergewerp’ is (sien Openbaring 12:10). Staan dus vas en herinner hom: ‘God het Hom wat nie sonde geken het nie, sonde gemaak ter wille van ons sodat ons, op grond van ons eenheid met Christus, deur God vrygespreek kan word.’ God sien jou ‘in Christus,’ dus is jy volkome, geregverdig en aanvaarbaar. Ja, jy kort nog werk – maar Hy sal nie opgee op jou nie!
Sielskos: Pred 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
When someone criticises us or hurts us, even if it was unintentional, their words can stick with us for a long time. We might even think we’ve forgotten, and then years later, we’ll suddenly remember them. Over time, we might find that a lot of the sting has gone out of the words, but often the memory and the pain is just as fresh as it was on the day we heard them. The enemy can use those memories to discourage us and get us to condemn ourselves.
But ‘God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God,’ so we can confidently stand our ground and remind the enemy that Jesus has already defeated him through His death and resurrection.
If the criticism or hurtful remarks were unjustified, we need to hold on to the truth of how God sees us. Ephesians 6:14 says: ‘Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of God’s righteousness’ (NLT).
But what about if the criticism was justified at the time? Sometimes, it’s not what was said, but the way it was said, that makes it hurt. We’ve all made our fair share of mistakes, but God sees us ‘in Christ’, and accepts us just as we are, because we’re covered by Jesus’ righteousness. We also need to remember that God’s transforming us little by little, day by day, so we’re not the same person we were when the criticism was made. We’re works-in-progress, and God won’t give up on us. The old voices of the past don’t define our future or the way God sees us, and we shouldn’t let them define the way we think about ourselves either.
Ecc 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
Gandhi once said, “I refuse to let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.” Yet that’s exactly what we do when we listen to old voices of condemnation.
A respected author writes: “Negative accusations take various forms. ‘You’re not as spiritual as you should be…You didn’t work hard enough last week…God can’t bless you because of your past.’ Those are lies…We don’t have to live condemned when we make mistakes. Even Paul said, ‘I do not do the good things I want to do…I do the bad thing I do not want to do’ (Romans 7:19 NCV).
There is a time to repent, and a time to shake it off and press forward. You can’t change the past. And if you live in guilt today because of yesterday, you won’t have the strength to live in victory.
The Bible says, ‘Put on the breastplate of God’s approval’ (See Ephesians 6:14). The breastplate covers your heart, the center of your being, the way you think and feel about yourself. If you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have much of a future. I’ve blown it too often. God couldn’t be pleased with me,’ that’s ‘the accuser,’ and he has no authority over you.” God says he’s been “cast down” (Revelation 12:10 KJV).
So stand your ground, and remind him that “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Like all of us, you’ve probably made your fair share of mistakes. But positionally God sees you “in Christ,” so you’re “complete,” “justified,” and “accepted.” Conditionally you’re a work-in-progress – and He won’t give up on you!
Soul food: Ecc 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2020-12-05
Galatians 5:26 MSG
When we think about being in competition with others, we’ll often think of trying to be better than someone else – maybe things like getting more likes and comments on our social media posts, better exam results, or a higher paid job. But there’s another type of competition that we can find ourselves in.
Does any of this sound familiar? ‘You think you’ve had a rough week? I’ve had all of these things go wrong…!’ ‘If you want to know what a bad day looks like, try going through the day I’ve just had!’ It’s easy for us to get sucked into this type of competition, where we try to prove that our problems are worse than everyone else’s, but it isn’t the way God wants us to react.
The Message paraphrases Galatians 5 like this: ‘Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse.’ (v.25-26 MSG).
There are times when we should share that we’re having problems, but if we’re just saying it to compete with others, we need to check ourselves. When someone shares that they’re having a tough time, let’s try to take our focus off ourselves for a few minutes, and offer encouragement and understanding. Sometimes they might just need someone to listen to them and reassure them that with God’s help, they can handle it.
Jos 11-13; John 16:19-33; Ps 147:1-11; Prov 29:1-5
Galasiërs 5:26 NLV
Klink dit bekend? ‘Jy dink jou dag was moeilik? Ek het dertig kliënte voor middagete gehad!’ Dis maklik om in ‘Die Martelaar kompetisie’ vasgevang te word, waar jou probleme erger as enigiemand anders s’n is. As jy nie versigtig is nie, kan dit ook jou huis bekruip.
Alicia Howe skryf: ‘Aan die einde van die dag wanneer frustrasie in die werkplek vars is en huistake nog voorlê, is omstandighede ryp daarvoor. Eggenote wat desperaat nodig het dat hul maat hulle inspanning raaksien, veg vir die titel van die persoon wat die hardste gewerk het.’
Met dit in gedagte: 1) Wees op die uitkyk vir onuitgesproke pleidooie vir bemoediging. Wanneer jou maat frustrasie uitdruk, moenie probeer om te bewys dat jy meer rede tot frustrasie het nie. Jesus het gesê: ‘Elkeen wat kan hoor… moet goed luister…’ (Markus 4:9 NLV). Wat jou maat nodig het, is die versekering dat hulle in staat is om die probleem te hanteer.
2) Bewys dikwels waardering. Die feit dat die samelewing geneig is om spesifieke rolle aan die verskillende geslagte toe te ken, gee jou nie die reg om jou maat as vanselfsprekend te aanvaar nie.
3) Versterk jou eggenoot se pogings om te help. Moenie die manier wat hulle die wasgoed opvou of die tuin hark, kritiseer nie. Wanneer jy dit doen, kan jy gewaarborg wees dat hulle dit nie weer sal doen nie.
Dink aan ‘n vurk met vier tande: a) Respekteer mekaar se werk. b) Erken dat alhoewel julle werke verskillend is, beide van hulle moeilik kan wees. c) Wees sensitief en buigbaar genoeg om te help wanneer dit nie ‘jou werk’ of ‘jou beurt’ is nie. d) Verbied die klagte: ‘Ek’s moeg.’ Dis onproduktief en die kans is goed dat julle altwee moeg is om dit aan te hoor!
Sielskos: Jos 11-13; John 16:19-33; Ps 147:1-11; Spr 29:1-5
