2025-12-15
Hebreërs 11:34 NLV
‘n Pastoor skryf: ‘Aan die einde van die twintigste eeu het ‘n baanbrekersielkundige genaamd Alfred Adler die teenintuïtiewe teorie van kompensasie voorgestel. Adler het geglo dat wat as swakpunte gesien word, dikwels eintlik sterkpunte is, omdat dit ons dwing om benaderings en vermoëns wat andersins onontdek sou bly, te ontwikkel. Dit is slegs wanneer ons daardie swakpunte probeer oorkom dat ons grootste gawes onthul word.
Sewentig persent van die kunsstudente wat deur Adler bestudeer is, het optiese afwykings gehad. Hy het opgemerk dat sommige van die geskiedenis se grootste komponiste, insluitend Mozart en Beethoven, gehoorprobleme gehad het. Hy het ‘n wye verskeidenheid beroepe van mense wat hul swakpunte gebruik het om nuwe sterkpunte te ontdek, aangehaal. Adler het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat swakpunte, soos geboortedefekte, fisiese kwale en armoede, trappe na sukses kan wees. Hierdie sukses word nie ten spyte van daardie sogenaamde swakpunte behaal nie, maar as gevolg van hulle.
In een studie van kleinsake-eienaars het 35 persent aangedui dat hulle disleksies is. Daardie sogenaamde swakpunt het hierdie groep entrepreneurs gedwing om verskillende vaardighede te kweek. Sommige van hulle het vaardiger in mondelinge kommunikasie geword omdat lees vir hulle so moeilik was. Ander het geleer om sosiale vaardighede te ontwikkel om die uitdagings wat hulle in die klaskamer teëgekom het, te oorkom. By almal van hulle is ‘n werksetiek gekweek wat dalk dormant sou gebly het as hulle maklik kon lees. Ons grootste sterkpunte kan in ons grootste swakpunte versteek wees, dus moet ons leer om ons swakpunte te benut.’
Dis rede genoeg om God vir jou sogenaamde swakpunte en uitdagings te prys.
Sielskos: Sag 1-4; Joh 20:10-18; Ps 57; Spr 30:24-28
Hebrews 11:34 NCV
A pastor writes: “Around the turn of the twentieth century, a pioneering psychologist named Alfred Adler proposed the counterintuitive theory of compensation. Adler believed that perceived disadvantages often prove to be disguised advantages because they force us to develop attitudes and abilities that would have otherwise gone undiscovered. And it’s only as we compensate for those disadvantages that our greatest gifts are revealed.
Seventy percent of the art students that Adler studied had optical anomalies. He observed that some of history’s greatest composers, Mozart and Beethoven among them, had degenerative traces in their ears. He cited a… wide variety of vocations, of those who leveraged their weakness by discovering new strengths. Adler concluded that perceived disadvantages, such as birth defects, physical ailments, and poverty, can be springboards to success. And that success is not achieved in spite of those perceived disadvantages. It’s achieved because of them…
In one study of small-business owners… 35 percent of them were self-identified dyslexics… That disadvantage forced this group of entrepreneurs to cultivate different skill sets. Some of them became more proficient at oral communication because reading was so difficult. Others learned to rely on well-developed social skills to compensate for the challenges they faced in the classroom. And all of them cultivated a work ethic that might have remained dormant if reading had come easy for them… Our greatest advantages may actually be hidden in our greatest disadvantages, if we learn to leverage them.”
That’s sufficient reason to praise God for your perceived disadvantages and challenges.
Soul food: Zech 1-4; John 20:10-18; Ps 57; Prov 30:24-28
2025-12-14
John 13:35 NKJV
Designer clothes brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren are recognized by their designs and by their trademarks. These trademarks make them immensely visible and identifiable. Sometimes workers in certain industries are identified by their attire, such as a surgeon who wears scrubs, or a policeman who wears a uniform, or a judge who wears robes.
Jesus has given to us something as irrefutable evidence that we are close to God – a test whereby you can evaluate your own spiritual growth. In fact, so amazing is this trademark that He said it would be the foremost declaration of your faith. Jesus said it like this: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (vv. 34-35 NKJV). Francis Schaeffer, the great Christian apologist, said, “Love is the final apologetic. It is the defence for which there is no defence.”
When a woman is pregnant with a child, there comes a point where we say that she is “showing.” The life growing inside her begins to grow and show on the outside. Likewise, the Bible says, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5 KJV).
John writes, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11 NKJV). Love; it’s the ultimate test of your discipleship.
Soul food: Gen 11:1-9; Phil 2:1-11
2025-12-13
Prediker 9:9 DB
Hier is ‘n illustrasie van die verskillende rolle in die huwelik: ‘n Man se werk is soos die van ‘n termostaat, wat die temperatuur in die huis handhaaf. Die vrou se werk is soos dié van ‘n termometer, om ‘n temperatuurlesing te gee. Die lesing van die termometer moet die verstelling van die termostaat aandui. As ‘n man ‘n warm vrou wil hê, kan hy nie ysige weer huis toe bring nie.
Hier is nog ‘n illustrasie van die twee verskillende rolle in die huwelik: Vir wingerdstokke om vrugbaar te wees, moet hul takke opgelig word, daarom bind wingerdboere hulle aan ‘n paal vir ondersteuning vas. Indien dit nie gedoen word nie, word die wingerdstok te swaar soos die druiwe volwasse word en groei en begin dit op die grond sleep. Die paal hou die druiwe van die grond af en help hulle om die volle voordeel van die son te ontvang. Na ‘n rukkie begin die takke langs die paal waar hulle vasgemaak is, versprei. Omdat hulle deur die paal ondersteun word, is hulle vry om te klim en te versprei.
Wanneer ‘n man dus stabiliteit in die huis verskaf, laat dit die vrou veilig en versorg voel. Sy is dan vry om te floreer, te groei en vrugbaar te wees. Salomo sê: ‘Geniet die lewe met die vrou vir wie jy lief is. Geniet haar elke dag in die sinlose lewe wat jou gegun is. Sy sal jou troos wees…’ Die tyd, liefde en aandag wat jy in jou vrou belê, bring ‘n beloning van groot seën, tevredenheid en vervulling mee. Wanneer jy jou deel doen, kan jy op God staat maak om sy deel te doen.
Sielskos: 2 Tim 1-4; Joh 20:1-9; Ps 105:37-45; Spr 30:20-23
Ecclesiastes 9:9 NLT
Here is an illustration of the different roles in marriage: A husband’s job is like that of a thermostat, to set the temperature in the home. The wife’s job is like that of a thermometer, to give a temperature reading. And the reading of the thermometer should indicate the setting of the thermostat. If a man wants a warm wife, he can’t bring home frosty weather.
Here is another illustration of the two different roles in marriage: For grapevines to become the most fruitful, their branches have to be elevated, so vinedressers tie them to a post for support. As grapes mature and grow, the vine becomes too heavy and begins to drag on the ground. Elevation keeps the grapes off the soil, and helps them receive the whole benefit of the sun. After a while, the branches start to spread along the post where they’re tied. Because they have been stabilized, they’re free to climb and spread and maximize their potential for fruitfulness.
In the same way, when a husband provides stability in the home, it allows a woman to feel secure and cared for. She is then free to thrive, to grow, and to be fruitful. Again Solomon weighs in with his wisdom: “Live happily with the woman you love… The wife God gives you is your reward… Whatever you do, do well” (vv. 9-10 NLT). The time, love, and attention you invest in your wife will bring you a reward of great blessing, satisfaction, and fulfillment. And when you do your part, you can count on God to do His.
Soul food: 2 Tim 1-4; John 20:1-9; Ps 105:37-45; Prov 30:20-23
