2025-04-09
2 Timoteus 2:2 NLV
Wat is jou lewensdoel? Oorlewing of sukses? Sommige van ons ly aan die ‘eendsindroom.’ Ons kom kalm op die oppervlak voor, maar onder die oppervlak skop en roei ons verwoed. Ons dink: ‘Ek is bly die mense rondom my weet nie hoe min ek weet nie,’ en ons hou hulle op ‘n afstand in die hoop dat hulle nooit sal uitvind nie. God wil nie hê dat jy as die bron van jou eie krag en wysheid moet lewe nie. Dawid het geskryf: ‘Die Here is my lig en my redding. Vir wie moet ek dan vrees?..’ (Psalm 27:1 NLV).
Aan die ander kant streef sommige van ons na ‘n selfgesentreerde vorm van sukses wat by ons begin en eindig. Ons bekommer ons net oor onsself. Wanneer dit jou doelwit is, kan God jou nie met sukses vertrou nie, omdat jou motiewe elke beginsel in sy Woord oortree. God het vir Abraham gesê: ‘…Ek sal jou seën sodat jy geëerd sal wees, en vir ander tot ‘n seën sal wees’ (Genesis 12:2 NLV). Wanneer jou hart se bedoeling is om ander mense te seën, sal God dit wat jy aanpak, seën. Jesus het gesê: ‘…Ek [het] julle uitgekies… om julle in staat te stel om te gaan vrugte dra, vrugte wat sal hou…’ (Johannes 15:16 NLV).
‘n Deel van God se plan vir jou lewe is om dit wat Hy aan jou toevertrou het, aan ander oor te dra. Daar is geen blywende sukses as daar nie iemand is om dit op te volg nie. Dis hoekom Paulus geskryf het: ‘Jy het my baie dinge hoor leer… Leer hierdie groot waarhede aan betroubare mense wat bekwaam is om dit aan ander deur te gee.’ Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – dra dit aan ander oor.
Sielskos: Fil 1-4; Luk 22:14-23; Ps 43; Spr 10:10
2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV
What’s your goal in life? Survival, success, or succession? Some of us suffer from “duck syndrome.” We appear calm on the surface, but underneath we’re paddling furiously. We think “I’m glad people around me don’t know how much I don’t know,” and we keep them at a distance hoping they never find out. That’s not how God wants you to live, as the source of your own strength and wisdom. David wrote, “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1 NKJV).
On the other hand, some of us strive for a self-centered form of success that begins and ends with us. Our philosophy is “look out for number one.” When that’s your goal, God cannot trust you with success because your motives violate every principle in His Word. God told Abraham, “I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2 NKJV). When your heart’s intent is to bless others, God will bless your endeavors. Jesus said, “I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain [after you’re gone]” (John 15:16 NKJV).
Part of God’s plan for your life is passing on to others what He has entrusted to you. There is no lasting success without a successor. That’s why Paul wrote, “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” So, the word for you today is – pass it on.
Soul food: Phil 1-4; Luke 22:14-23; Ps 43; Prov 10:10
2025-04-08
Romeine 14:19 NLV
Paulus sou nie ‘n duim toegee as dit by die sentrale waarhede van die Skrif gekom het nie. Wanneer dit egter by tradisies, persoonlike opinies en persoonlike voorkeure gekom het, het hy gesê: ‘…Elkeen behoort seker te maak van sy eie oortuiging in die verband’ (vers 5 NLV). Onder die wet van Moses was die besnydenis gelykstaande aan ‘n verbond tussen jou en God. Toe nie-Joodse gelowiges dus by die Nuwe Testamentiese kerk aangesluit het, het Joodse gelowiges daarop aangedring dat hulle ook besny moet word. Nie as babas nie, maar as volwassenes! Was hierdie Joodse gelowiges opreg? Absoluut. Hulle was egter opreg mislei. Toe die kwessie gedreig het om die kerk in twee te skeur, het die apostels in Jerusalem bymekaar gekom, oor die saak gebid en die volgende opinie uitgereik: ‘Die Heilige Gees en ons het besluit om geen verder las op julle te lê nie, behalwe die volgende voorskrifte’ (Handelinge 15:28 NLV).
Wanneer ‘n tradisie of persoonlike voorkeur gelyk in gesag aan God se Woord word, het ons te ver gegaan. Was jy ontsteld oor iemand wat nie met jou oor een of ander onbelangrike punt van leerstelling saamgestem het nie? Was jy krities oor iemand wie se opinie van joune verskil het? Miskien het jy, deur op jou lys van moets en moenies aan te dring, die belangrikste item op God se lys vergeet: dat ons liefde teenoor mekaar moet betoon.
Jesus het gesê: ‘As julle liefde teenoor mekaar beoefen, sal almal daaraan sien dat julle my dissipels is’ (Johannes 13:35 NLV). Ons harte kan een wees, selfs wanneer ons gedagtes nie saamstem nie. Ons kan hand aan hand loop, sonder dat ons dieselfde dink. Soos teoloë dikwels sê: ‘In noodsaaklike dinge, eenheid. In alles anders, liefdadigheid!’
Sielskos: Lev 26-27; Luk 22:1-13; Ps 56; Spr 10:8-9
Romans 14:19 NLT
Paul wouldn’t yield an inch when it came to standing on the central truths of Scripture. But when it came to traditions, personal opinions, and personal preferences, he said, “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (v. 5 NKJV). Under the law of Moses, being circumcised was considered equal to having a covenant between you and God. So when Gentile believers joined the New Testament church, Jewish believers insisted they too must be circumcised. Not as babies, mind you, but as adults! Were these Jewish believers sincere? Absolutely. But they were sincerely misguided. When this issue threatened to split the church, the apostles met in Jerusalem, prayed about the matter, and issued the following opinion: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things” (Acts 15:28 NKJV).
Any time a tradition or personal preference becomes equal in authority to God’s Word, we have gone too far. Question: Have you been upset with someone who doesn’t agree with you on some nonessential point of doctrine? Have you been critical of someone whose opinion differs from yours? Perhaps in insisting on your list of dos and don’ts, you have forgotten the most important item on God’s list: that we exhibit love.
Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 NKJV). Our hearts can be in unity even when our minds don’t agree. We can walk hand in hand, even when we don’t see eye to eye. As theologians often say, “In essential things, unity. In all things, charity!”
Soul food: Lev 26-27; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 56; Prov 10:8-9
2025-04-07
Psalm 37:24 NLT
Every opportunity in life comes with two things: the possibility of succeeding, and the possibility of failing. When you reach the end of your life, your greatest regrets won’t be over your failures, but the opportunities you failed to seize because you were afraid of failing. So here are some principles to help you conquer the fear of failing:
(1) Be willing to try and fail at something. And when it happens, tell people. Why? Because that’s how you discover failure isn’t fatal.
(2) Find a project so big that you cannot do it without God’s help, then commit to it.(3) Socialize with some impulsive types. Observe how they take risks without dying. Seeing and imitating is a great way to learn.
(4) The way we learn to take big steps of faith is by taking small steps of faith. Compliment someone you don’t know. Volunteer for an additional task at work. Go out of your way to help someone in need.
(5) Declare war on perfectionism. Instead of waiting until you can do it perfectly, do your best and tell yourself, “That’s good enough for now.”
(6) Be afraid, and obey God anyway. You will never totally defeat your fears, but you can diminish them to where they have less control of your life.
Here is a promise for you to stand on: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (vv. 23-24 NLT).
Sielskos: Lev 23:26-25:55; Luke 21:29-38; Ps 50:16-23; Prov 10:4-7
