2021-04-20
Colossians 4:6 NKJV
The Chinese Christian leader Watchman Nee devoted a chapter in his book The Normal Christian Worker to watching what you say and how you say it. “Because of unrestrained speech, the usefulness of many Christian workers is seriously curtailed. Instead of being powerful instruments in the Lord’s service, their ministry makes little impact on account of the constant leakage of power through their careless talk.”
Paul writes, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt.” That means when you speak, make sure it’s in good taste. And the look on your face and the tone of your voice can determine whether a person receives or resents what you’re saying.
Eugene Peterson paraphrases Paul’s words this way: “Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out” (MSG). Again Paul writes, “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29 NLT). So before you speak, check your attitude and ask yourself, “What frame of mind am I in right now?” And don’t stop with that question. Ask yourself also, “Will what I’m about to say help or hurt, clarify or confuse, make me feel better or the other person feel better?”
Acknowledging his propensity to say the wrong thing, David prayed, “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift toward evil” (Psalm 141:3-4 NLT). It’s not enough to be talented in life; to succeed in life, you must speak wisely.
Soul food: Dan 8-10; Mark 3:1-6; Ps 103:13-22; Prov 10:14
Colossians 4:6 NKJV
In Watchman Nee’s book The Normal Christian Worker, he devotes a whole chapter to our words, and how we communicate with others. He says ‘Because of unrestrained speech, the usefulness of many Christian workers is seriously curtailed. Instead of being powerful instruments in the Lord’s service, their ministry makes little impact on account of the constant leakage of power through their careless talk.’
This reminder that we can hurt the impact of our efforts for God by talking carelessly is a stark one, and it really is that serious. As Proverbs 18:21 tells us, ‘the tongue has the power of life and death’ (NIV). It can be so easy to be careless with our words, to speak without thinking. We can also betray ourselves with our tone, our gestures, and our facial expressions. We have to remember, though, that all of those things can dramatically change that way that people see us and, by extension, the way they see God.
It’s time for us to echo David’s prayer in Psalm 141:3-4 ‘Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift towards evil’ (NLT). Those verses are worth memorising and repeating when we feel our words veering towards negativity.
It’s also very worthwhile to check our attitude. Our words are fuelled by our thoughts, and our speech can’t run out of control unless our mind goes there first. That’s really where we need God to step in. We need His help to challenge our thoughts. Each time we find our mind or speech drifting towards negativity, we should stop ourselves and pray and pray to God for ‘the renewing of [our] mind’ that we read about in Romans 12:2 (NIV).
Dan 8-10; Mark 3:1-6; Ps 103:13-22; Prov 10:14
Kolossense 4:6 NLV
Die Chinese Christelike leier, Watchman Nee, verduidelik in sy boek getiteld The Normal Christian Worker, hoe belangrik dit is om op te let wat jy sê en hoe jy dit sê. ‘As gevolg van onbeheerste uitsprake, word die bruikbaarheid van baie Christelike werkers hewig ingekort. In plaas daarvan om kragtige instrumente in die Here se diens te wees, maak hulle bediening min impak as gevolg van die konstante lekkasie van krag deur hulle agtelosige praatjies.’
Paulus skryf: ‘Met woorde wat altyd vriendelik en sinvol is, moet julle gereed staan om die regte antwoord vir elke mens te gee.’ Dit beteken dat jy wanneer jy praat, moet jy seker maak dat dit in goeie smaak is. Jou gesigsuitdrukking en stemtoon kan bepaal of ‘n persoon dit wat jy sê, ontvang of daaroor aanstoot neem. Weer skryf Paulus: ‘Moenie enige vuil taal gebruik nie. Gebruik eerder die regte, opbouende woorde wat nodig is om dié wat luister, te bevoordeel’ (Efesiërs 4:29 NLV).
Voor jy dus praat, moet jy jou houding ondersoek en jouself afvra: ‘In watter gemoedstemming is ek op die oomblik?’ Nie net dit nie, maar ook: ‘Sal dit wat ek nou wil sê help of seermaak, verduidelik of verwar, my laat beter voel of die ander persoon beter laat voel?’
Dawid het sy geneigdheid om die verkeerde ding te sê erken en gebid: ‘Sit ‘n wag voor my mond, Here, hou wag oor wat ek sê. Bewaar my van verkeerde begeertes wat lei na bose dade…’ (Psalm 141:3-4 NLV). Dis nie genoeg om net talentvol te wees nie; om sukses in die lewe te behaal, moet jy ook met wysheid praat.
Sielskos: Dan 8-10; Mark 3:1-6; Ps 103:13-22; Spr 10:14v
2021-04-19
1 Chronicles 29:14 NKJV
Generous people are always comfortable talking about money, and they are even more comfortable giving it. Self-centered people obsess over keeping what they have, and how to get even more. That’s why Jesus, who was the most generous person in history, spoke so much about money. He understood its source, its use, and who owns it all. Sixteen of his thirty-eight parables deal with how to handle money and possessions. In the four Gospels, one out of every ten verses deals with the subject. The Bible has five hundred verses on prayer, roughly the same amount on faith, but over two thousand on money and possessions. Is God trying to tell you something? If so, what?
It’s this: Everything you have came from God! So you’re not an owner, but an administrator of His estate. That means when He taps you on the shoulder and says, “Give to this person or to that cause,” you don’t argue or rationalize but say, “Yes, Lord!”
After raising the money to build the temple, David prayed: “Both riches and honour come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You” (vv. 12-14 NKJV).
When you give to God, you are just giving back to your supplier.
Soul food: Dan 5-7; Mark 2:23-28; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 10:13
1 Chronicles 29:14 NKJV
Whether we have it or we don’t, money can feel like a very awkward subject. It’s not considered polite conversation. But 16 of Jesus’ 38 parables deal with money and possessions. God isn’t afraid to talk about it, and when we look into it, neither are His people.
After raising the money to build the temple, David prayed this prayer: ‘Both riches and honour come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You’ (vv. 12-14 NKJV).
Not only was David unafraid to publicly acknowledge that the people of Israel had given their riches to God, he reminds us there that all of our money and possessions come from God in the first place. Once we acknowledge that, it can feel easier to have the necessary conversations about money. We’re no longer talking about something that is ours, or that is even any reflection of us. We’re talking about something that belongs to God, and is simply ours to steward. Those conversations may just break some of the taboos surrounding money, and we might in turn find it easier to be generous with what God has temporarily given to us.
Dan 5-7; Mark 2:23-28; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 10:13
