2022-02-08
Proverbs 25:28 NLT
Trials, disagreeable people, and frustrating circumstances are potentially upsetting – and the bad news is, they’re not going away anytime soon. However, the good news is, they’re not your problem! The fact is, it’s not what happens to you that determines your mood; it’s what happens in you! We imagine life would immediately change for the better if we could alter people and circumstances, but there would be new people and circumstances to deal with, right?
Solomon had it right; it’s not about controlling the world on the outside – it’s controlling the world on the inside. Proverbs tells us, “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls”; in other words, a city that’s open to attack. The only way to guarantee your security is to forget about controlling people and things, and to focus on maintaining your protective walls.
“But people and circumstances can make me feel inadequate and vulnerable,” you say. The Bible tells us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 NRS). In fact, recognizing your own inadequacies is step one on the journey to wholeness. Step two is accepting that only God can empower you with self-control (see Philippians 2:13 NIV). Step three lies in understanding that self-control doesn’t come from teeth-gritting determination; it’s a product of the Holy Spirit – a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). When you submit to the Spirit who lives in you, He will strengthen your walls and empower you to stand strong against the Enemy.
Soul food: Isa 12-16; Luke 8:40-56; Ps 125; Pro 4:3-4
Spreuke 25:28 NLV
Beproewinge, onaangename mense en frustrerende omstandighede is potensieel onstellend – en die slegte nuus is dat hulle nie binnekort gaan verdwyn nie. Die goeie nuus is egter dat hulle nie jou probleem is nie! Dis nie wat met jou gebeur wat jou bui bepaal nie; dis wat binne jou gebeur! Ons verbeel onsself dat die lewe dadelik ten beste gaan verander as ons mense en omstandighede kan verander, maar dan sou daar net nuwe mense en omstandighede wees om te hanteer, nie waar nie?
Salomo het dit reg gehad; dit gaan nie daaroor om die wêreld aan die buitekant te beheer nie, dit gaan daaroor om die wêreld aan die binnekant te beheer. Spreuke sê vir ons: ‘Iemand wat homself nie in bedwang kan hou nie, is soos ‘n stad sonder ‘n muur wat beskerming bied.’ Die enigste manier om dus jou sekuriteit te waarborg, is om daarvan te vergeet om mense en dinge te beheer en daarop te fokus om jou beskermende mure in stand te hou.
‘Maar mense en omstandighede kan my onvoldoende en weerloos laat voel,’ sê jy. Die Bybel sê vir ons: ‘…God weerstaan die hoogmoediges, maar aan die nederiges gee Hy genade’ (1 Petrus 5:5 AFR83). Om jou eie onvoldoendheid te besef, is inderwaarheid die eerste stap tot volkomenheid. Stap twee is om te aanvaar dat slegs God jou met selfbeheersing kan bemagtig (sien Filippense 2:13). Stap drie lê in die besef dat selfbeheersing nie uit vasberadenheid kom nie; dis ‘n produk van die Heilige Gees – ‘n vrug van die Gees (sien Galasiërs 5:22-23). Wanneer jy jouself aan die Gees wat in jou woon onderwerp, sal Hy jou mure versterk en jou bemagtig om sterk teen die Vyand te staan.
Sielskos: Jes 12-16; Luk 8:40-56; Ps 125; Spr 4:3-4
Proverbs 25:28 NLT
Tests and challenges, disagreeable people, and frustrating circumstances are potentially upsetting, but they’re not going to go away anytime soon. However, the good news is that we don’t have to carry these problems with us. The truth is, it’s not what happens to us that determines our mood; it’s what happens in us! The way we respond is a choice.
We can imagine that life would immediately change for the better if we could change people and circumstances. What we forget is that even then, there would be new people and new circumstances to deal with that hadn’t occurred to us. We can’t control the world on the outside, but we do have some control over the world on the inside. Proverbs tells us, ‘A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls’; in other words, a city that’s open to attack. The only way to be certain of feeling secure is to forget about controlling people and things, and to focus on maintaining our own protective walls of self-control.
People and circumstances can make us feel inadequate and vulnerable, but the Bible tells us that ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5 NRSV). In fact, recognising our own inadequacies is the first step on the journey to wholeness. The second step is accepting that only God can empower us with self-control (see Philippians 2:13). Step three lies in understanding that self-control doesn’t come from our own determination; it’s a product of the Holy Spirit – a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). When we submit to the Spirit who lives within us, He’ll strengthen our walls of self-control and empower us to stand strong against the enemies of temptation, anger, and frustration.
Isa 12-16; Luke 8:40-56; Ps 125; Pro 4:3-4
2022-02-07
Matteus 6:33 DB
Wanneer jy angstig oor die toekoms voel, stop en herinner jouself dat God ‘die Alfa en die Omega, die Eerste en die Laaste, die Begin en die Einde’ (Openbaring 22:13 NLV), is. Waarheen jy op pad is – God is reeds daar! Jesus het gesê: ‘…die skape luister fyn na sy stem… hy [loop] voor hulle uit, en die skape hou aan om hom te volg omdat hulle sy stem ken’ (Johannes 10:3-4 NLV). Hoe leer skape om die skaapwagter se stem te herken? Deur tyd saam met hom deur te bring. Let op: ‘hy loop voor hulle uit,’ wat beteken so lank as wat jy vorentoe beweeg, kan God jou bewegings rig.
Elke keer wat jy breekpunt bereik, is dit ‘n toets: Jy sal óf tou opgooi, óf deurdruk tot oorwinning toe. Wanneer langafstandatlete uitgeput voel en voel of hulle wil tou opgooi, weet hulle dat indien hulle deur die pyn druk, hulle hul tweede asem sal kry en dat dit hulle oor die eindstreep sal dra.
Neem jy verantwoordelikhede wat nie joune is nie op jou skouers? Leer om gesonde grense te vestig ter wille van jouself en vir die mense wat afhanklik is van jou. As jy nie seker is wat gepas is nie, vra God om jou te wys hoe baie jy by die lewens van jou vriende en familie betrokke moet raak. As die las nie joune is nie, sit dit neer. As dit te swaar is, gee dit vir God! Staan op sy belofte: ‘…Hy draai nie sy rug vir hulle wat sy hulp nodig het nie. Hy help hulle as hulle smeek dat Hy iets aan hulle nood moet doen’ (Psalm 22:25 DB). Hoe meer jy op God vertrou, hoe meer sal jy jou angsvlakke kan verlaag.
Sielskos: Jes 8-11; Luk 8:26-39; Ps 67; Spr 4:1-2
Matthew 6:34 MSG
When we’re feeling anxious about the future, we should take a moment to stop and remind yourselves that two of God’s names are ‘Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end’ (Revelation 22:13 KJV). Wherever we’re going, God’s already there! Jesus said, ‘The sheep hear his voice…he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice’ (John 10:3-4 NKJV). Sheep get to know the shepherd’s voice by spending time with him. ‘He goes before them’, which means that God can and will direct us.
Each time we reach a breaking point, we have a choice: either give up, or trust God’s guidance and persevere. Long-distance runners use the expression ‘hitting the wall’. When they’re exhausted and feel like giving up, they know if they push through the pain, they’ll get their second wind, which will carry them over the finish line.
There are times we need to just push on through the challenges to reach victory in our lives. It isn’t an easy thing to do, but we can be sure Jesus is with us every step of the way, encouraging us and cheering us on.
If we’ve picked up burdens that aren’t ours to carry, let’s put them down and leave them for God. If the burdens we do need to carry feel too heavy, let’s give them to God. ‘He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there’ (Psalm 22:24 MSG). The more we trust God, the less room there’ll be for stress.
Isa 8-11; Luke 8:26-39; Ps 67; Pro 4:1-2
