2021-08-13
James 4:10 KJV
In the Old Testament God marked His priests by putting blood on their right ear lobe, their right thumb, and the big toe of their right foot. That meant they were called to honour God in their hearing, their skills, and their daily walk.
You can’t just do your own thing; you’re called to walk according to God’s Word. When you don’t, God will call you to repentance. And if you don’t repent, He will discipline you. “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV).
Note two important phrases: (1) “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline.” Your “Nobody’s-going-to-tell-me-what-to-do!” attitude will rob you of God’s best and prevent Him from using you effectively. “God opposes the proud, but shows favour to the humble” (James 4:6 NIV).
(2) “Do not lose heart when he rebukes you.” Instead of seeing God’s correction as rejection, see it as proof that you’re His child…that He has a plan for your life…and that it begins when you humble yourself and do what He tells you.
God’s patience is amazing – but He won’t wait forever. He said of Jezebel, “I gave her time to repent…and she did not…I will cast her into a sickbed” (Revelation 2:21-22 NKJV). On the other hand when Ahab, Jezebel’s wicked husband, humbled himself, God healed and restored him. Humbling yourself before God will turn things around in your life when nothing else will work. So, the word for you today is: make things right with God!
Soul food: Judg 4-6; Luke 13:1-17; Ps 119:57-64; Prov 17:22
Jakobus 4:10 NLV
In die Ou Testament het God sy priesters gemerk deur bloed op hulle regteroor, hulle regterduim en die groottoon van hulle regtervoet te smeer. Dit het beteken dat hulle geroepe was om God in hulle gehoor, hulle vaardighede en hulle daaglikse wandel te eer.
Jy kan nie net jou eie ding doen nie; jy is geroep om volgens God se Woord te wandel. As jy dit nie doen nie, sal God jou tot berou roep en jou dissiplineer. ‘…jy moet dit nie geringskat as die Here jou dissiplineer nie. Moenie ontmoedig word as Hy jou aanspreek nie. Die Here dissiplineer juis die mense vir wie Hy lief is…’ (Hebreërs 12:5-6 NLV).
Let twee belangrike frases op: 1) Moenie die Here se dissipline geringskat nie. ‘…God is téén mense wat te veel van hulleself dink, maar aan dié wat besef hoe afhanklik hulle van Hom is, gee Hy sy onverdiende goedheid’ (Jakobus 4:6 NLV).
2) Moenie moedeloos word as Hy jou dissiplineer nie. In plaas daarvan om God se korreksie as verwerping te sien, sien dit as bewys dat jy sy kind is en dat Hy ‘n plan vir jou lewe het.
God se geduld is wonderbaarlik – maar Hy sal nie vir ewig wag nie. Hy het van Isebel gesê: ‘Ek het haar ‘n bepaalde tyd gegun om tot inkeer te kom, maar sy weier… Ek pen haar op ‘n siekbed vas…’ (Openbaring 2:21-22 NLV). Aan die ander kant, toe Agab, Isebel se bose man, voor God neergeval het, het God hom gesond gemaak en herstel.
Deur te besef hoe afhanklik jy van die Here is, sal jy dinge in jou lewe regmaak wanneer niks anders sal werk nie. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus: Maak dinge reg met God!
Sielskos: Rig 4-6; Luk 13:1-17; Ps 119:57-64; Spr 17:22
2021-08-12
Matthew 19:5 NLT
Dr. Joyce Brothers once joked, “My husband and I have never considered divorce…sometimes murder, but never divorce!” Getting married is easy; living together successfully is hard. So how do you do it? By identifying issues that must be resolved, working on them, and learning to live with the rest! Snoring, endless hours of watching TV sports, not communicating, dirty socks on the floor, unmade beds – your partner’s habits can drive you crazy. And since Jesus said, “Let no one split apart what God has joined together” (v. 6 NLT), how should you handle conflicts when they arise?
(1) Attack the problem instead of each other.
(2) Keep your voice low, stay calm, and your partner is more likely to pay attention.
(3) Choose the best time to address the issue, not when the kids are hungry or you’re both tired.
(4) Remember, men and women see things differently. So, when your spouse expresses their viewpoint, don’t sigh and roll your eyes. What marriage therapists refer to as “active listening,” calls for affirming your spouse through paraphrasing, validation, and positive feedback.
(5) There’ll be times when each of you will have to compromise.
(6) Choose your words carefully. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). “Encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). “Forgiving one another” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT). “Pray for each other” (James 5:16 NIV). “Spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24 NIV). “Carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2 NIV). “Giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10 NKJV).
Now work on your marriage!
Soul food: Judg 1-3; Luke 12:49-59; Ps 119:49-56; Prov 17:18-21
Romans 12:10 NCV
In any kind of relationship we’re in, there’s always the potential for conflict, especially if it’s one where we’re close and spend a lot of time together. There’s a saying, ‘familiarity breeds contempt,’ and it can often be true. Little habits that we probably wouldn’t notice in someone else begin to irritate us. Differences of opinion can blow up out of proportion. We can become more critical and lose respect for each other. So how should we handle conflicts with those closest to us?
1) Attack the problem instead of each other.
2) Stay calm and avoid raising your voice.
3) Choose the best time to talk about the issue. It doesn’t help if you’re both feeling hungry, tired, or emotional.
4) Respect the other person’s opinion. People see things differently. It can be helpful to repeat what the other person has said but in your own words, to make sure you’ve understood what they’re meaning.
5) Don’t go into it thinking that you have to ‘win’. There’ll be times when you’ll have to compromise.
6) Choose your words carefully. They should come from a heart of love, not from a desire to hurt the other person.
The Bible has this wisdom to share: ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up’ (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). ‘Encourage one another’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). ‘Forgiving one another’ (Ephesians 4:32 NLT). ‘Pray for each other’ (James 5:16 NIV). ‘Spur one another on towards love and good deeds’ (Hebrews 10:24 NIVUK). ‘Carry each other’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2 NIV). In short, ‘Give each other more honour than you want for yourselves’ (Romans 12:10 NCV).
Judg 1-3; Luke 12:49-59; Ps 119:49-56; Prov 17:18-21
Matteus 19:5 NLV
Dr Joyce Brothers het een keer geskerts: ‘My man en ek het dit nog nooit oorweeg om te skei nie… ons het dit soms oorweeg om moord te pleeg, maar nooit om te skei nie!’ Dis maklik om te trou; om suksesvol saam te lewe is moeilik. Hoe doen jy dit dus? Deur kwessies te identifiseer wat opgelos moet word, daaraan te werk en te leer om met die res saam te leef! ‘n Gesnorkery, ‘n gebrek aan kommunikasie, vuil kouse op die vloer, onopgemaakte beddens – jou eggenoot se gewoontes kan jou teen die mure uitdryf.
Omdat Jesus gesê het: ‘…Wat God so saamgevoeg het, mag ‘n mens nie uitmekaarskeur nie’ (vers 6 NLV), hoe moet jy dus konflik hanteer? 1) Val die probleem, in plaas van mekaar, aan. 2) As jy jou stemtoon laag hou en kalm bly, sal jou maat meer geneig wees om aandag te gee. 3) Kies die beste tyd om die kwessie aan te spreek, nie wanneer die kinders honger is of julle altwee moeg is nie. 4) Onthou, mans en vrouens sien dinge verskillend. Wanneer jou eggenoot dus sy of haar siening deel, moenie sug en jou oë rol nie. 5) Daar sal tye wees wat elkeen van julle ‘n kompromie sal moet aangaan. 6) Kies jou woorde versigtig. ‘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).
‘Daarom… moet julle aanhou om mekaar moed in te praat…’ (1 Tessalonisense 5:11 NLV). ‘…Vergewe mekaar…’ (Efesiërs 4:32 NLV). ‘…[bid] vir mekaar…’ (Jakobus 5:16 NLV). ‘…Tel hulle probleme op julle skouers en dra dit vir hulle…’ (Galasiërs 6:2 DB). ‘…julle [moet] mekaar in liefde koester…’ (Romeine 12:10 NLV). Gaan werk nou aan jou huwelik!
Sielskos: Rig 1-3; Luk 12:49-59; Ps 119:49-56; Spr 17:18-21
