2022-04-30
Colossians 4:3 NCV
We’re called to introduce others to God, but we don’t always feel confident in talking theology or answering the difficult questions. Fortunately, there are plenty of other things we can do to show a friend or loved one who God really is.
Here are some ideas: 1) Let them join you when you pray. This will help them to understand that prayer is how we build a lifelong friendship with God. It isn’t anything scary, formal, or complicated (although we can all struggle with prayer occasionally). It’s simply a conversation with a loving Father. God said, ‘When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honour them’ (Psalm 91:15 NLT).
2) Show them what God is like. We influence others’ concepts of God, and they understand Him through the interactions they have with us. So our behaviour should always reflect God, such as never being too busy to listen, giving encouragement, never belittling or being harsh, and showing love in everything we do.
3) Help them to see God at work. When people are encouraged to see God at work in the lives of others, they’ll begin to discern Him at work in their own lives too. They’ll begin to realise that He cares about them, and they can always turn to Him for support and guidance.
4) Don’t just tell them to go to church – take them. Church can be daunting for someone who’s never been before, or who might have had a bad experience of church in the past. Having a friend with them to act as guide, helper, and explainer can make all the difference in giving them a positive experience and seeing that church should be a warm and welcoming place of fellowship and connection.
Jam 1-2; Matt 4:12-25; Ps 94:1-11; Pro 10:24-26
Deuteronomium 4:40 NLV
As ouer dra jy konstant jou waardes aan jou kinders oor, doen dus die volgende: 1) Laat hulle jou sien bid. Help hulle om te verstaan dat gebed die manier is waarmee ons ‘n lewenslange vriendskap met God bou. God het gesê: ‘Hy sal roep, en Ek sal antwoord; in nood sal Ek by hom wees. Ek sal hom red en in eer herstel’ (Psalm 91:15 NLV).
2) Wys hulle hoe God is. Jou kind se konsep van God word deur jou gevorm. Of jy nou liefdevol en beskermend of afwesig en koud is, hulle sal God begin verstaan deur die interaksies wat hulle met jou het. ‘n Paar voorbeelde is dat God nooit te besig is om te luister nie, dat Hy konstant vir ons sê dat Hy lief is vir ons en dat Hy ons nooit mishandel nie.
3) Help hulle om God in ander te sien. Wanneer kinders aangemoedig word om God se werk in hulle eie lewens te sien, sal hulle begin om sy werk ook in ander mense se lewens raak te sien. Wanneer dit gebeur, sal hulle ander mense waardeer en respekteer en deur ander mense gewaardeer en gerespekteer word.
4) Moenie hulle kerk toe stuur nie, neem hulle saam. Kinders het die behoefte om te glo – en te behoort. Leer hulle dat net soos ‘n ledemaat wat nie aan die liggaam gekonnekteer is nie sterf, ons geestelik sterf tensy ons aan ‘n plaaslike kerk gekonnekteer is. Hulle sal dan altyd ‘n plek hê om heen te gaan.
Die Bybel sê: ‘As julle al die gebooie en voorskrifte gehoorsaam… sal dit goed gaan met julle en met julle kinders…’ (Deuteronomium 4:40 NLV). Die grootste geskenk wat jy vir jou kinders kan gee, is om hulle te help om die regte pad te vind.
Sielskos: Jak 1-2; Matt 4:12-25; Ps 94:1-11; Spr 10:24-26
Deuteronomy 4:40 NCV
As a parent, you’re constantly transmitting your values to your children, so do these: (1) Let them see you pray. Help them to understand that prayer is how we build a lifelong friendship with God. And they will need His friendship when you’re not around to help them. God said, “When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them” (Psalm 91:15 NLT).
(2) Show them what God is like. Your child’s concept of God is formed by you. Whether you’re loving and protective or distant and cold, they will grow up understanding God through the interactions they have with you. Some examples are that God is never too busy to listen, He constantly tells us He loves us, and He is never abusive. Getting the idea?
(3) Help them to see God in others. When kids are encouraged to see God at work in their own lives, they begin to discern Him at work in the lives of others too. When that happens, they will value and respect others and be valued and respected in return. That will help them to be secure and successful in life.
(4) Don’t send them to church; take them. Children need to believe – and belong. Teach them that just like a limb dies that’s disconnected from a body, we die spiritually unless we are connected to a local church. “Belonging” means they will always have a place to go. The Bible says, “Obey his laws… that things will go well for you and your children” (Deuteronomy 4:40 NCV). Helping your kids to find the right path is the greatest gift you can give them.
Soul food: Jam 1-2; Matt 4:12-25; Ps 94:1-11; Pro 10:24-26
2022-04-29
Filippense 2:4 NLV
Onselfsugtigheid doen drie dinge vir jou: 1) Dit verhoog die kwaliteit van jou lewe. Dit gee jou ‘n waardering vir die lewe en ‘n beter begrip van die lewe se hoër waardes. Om mense in nood raak te sien en dan aan hulle behoeftes te voldoen, plaas baie dinge in perspektief. Een leier skryf: ‘Daar is geen lewe so leeg soos ‘n selfgesentreerde een nie. Daar is geen lewe so gesentreerd soos die self-leë ene nie.’ As jy jou wêreld wil verbeter, moet jy jou aandag daarop fokus om ander te help.
2) Dit maak jou deel van iets groters as jyself. In die middel tagtigs, het Merck & Company, die globale farmaseutiese korporasie, medikasie ontwikkel wat rivierblindheid genees – ‘n siekte wat hoofsaaklik mense in ontwikkelende lande infekteer en blind laat. Dit was ‘n goeie produk, maar die meeste potensiële kliënte kon dit nie bekostig nie. Wat het Merck dus gedoen? Hulle het die medikasie in elk geval geproduseer en aangekondig dat dit verniet vir enigeen wat dit nodig gehad het, beskikbaar sou wees. Gevolglik het hulle meer as 250 miljoen dosisse weggegee. George W. Merck sê: ‘Ons probeer nooit vergeet dat medisyne vir die mense is nie. Dis nie vir die wins nie. Die wins volg daarop en wanneer ons onthou dat dit vir die mense is, het die winste nog nooit nie opgedaag nie.’ Die les hieruit te leer? Eenvoudig. In plaas daarvan om groot te wees, word deel van iets groters as jyself.
3) Dit skep ‘n nalatenskap. Jack Balousek, die voormalige president van True North Communications, het gesê: ‘Leer, verdien, gee terug – hierdie is die drie fases van die lewe.’ Wanneer jy onselfsugtig is en in ander mense belê, ontvang jy die geleentheid om ‘n nalatenskap te skep. Dit behoort jou doelwit te wees.
Sielskos: Dan 11-12; Matt 4:1-11; Ps 144:9-15; Spr 10:22-23
Philippians 2:4 NCV
Unselfishness does three things for us: 1) It improves the quality of our lives. It gives us more appreciation for life and a glimpse of its higher values. Seeing people in need and giving to meet those needs puts a lot of things into perspective. John Maxwell wrote: ‘There is no life as empty as the self-centred life. There is no life as centred as the self-empty life.’ If we want to improve our world, we should focus our attention on helping others.
2) It makes us part of something greater than ourselves. In the mid-1980s, the pharmaceutical organisation Merck & Company developed a medication to cure river blindness, a disease that infects and causes blindness in millions of people. Most of the people it affects live in developing countries. It was a good product, but the potential customers couldn’t afford it. But Merck produced the drug anyway, and decided to give it free to anyone who needed it. They gave away more than 250 million tablets. George W. Merck, the company’s president, said, ‘We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It’s not for the profits. The profits follow, and if we have remembered that, they have never failed to appear.’ The lesson in this for us is instead of striving to be great, we should try to be part of something greater than ourselves.
3) It creates a legacy. When we think unselfishly and invest in others, we have the opportunity to create a lasting difference that will go on for the whole of our lives and beyond. The Bible says, ‘Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.’ Let’s make that our goal.
Dan 11-12; Matt 4:1-11; Ps 144:9-15; Pro 10:22-23
