2022-09-28
Spreuke 17:17 NLV
Maak nie saak waar jy woon of wat se werk jy doen nie, jy sal met hierdie drie tipes mense in aanraking kom: 1) Die kritici. Kom ons wees eerlik, die meeste mense is gemaklik met die status quo. Hulle vrees nie net verandering nie, maar sal dit dikwels aanval. As jy dit dus waag om anders te wees, moet jy voorbereid wees om deur rowwe waters te seil. Die apostel Paulus se kritici het na hom as ‘n mal man, ‘n dwaas en ‘n brabbelaar verwys. Hoekom sal jy dan verwag dat dieselfde skare jou beter sal behandel?
2) Die versigtiges. Hierdie mense sal nie ‘n beskuldigende vinger wys nie, maar hulle sal ook nie ‘n helpende hand uitreik nie. Wanneer jy in die moeilikheid kom sal hulle hulself van jou distansieer, in die vrees dat hulle dalk deur jou vermeende aanspreeklikhede besmet kan word. Hulle sal basies eers wag en kyk of jy dit deur die tonnel maak en ander kant uitkom. Hulle sal dan wag en kyk om te sien wie jou aanvaar en of jy tot hulle voordeel kan wees. Eers dan sal hulle moontlik weer met jou kontak maak. Hierdie mense is gebruikers. Hulle is nie sleg nie; hulle is net selfdienend. Wees dus lief vir hulle, maar moenie op hulle steun nie.
3) Die toegewydes. ‘Op ‘n vriend se lojaliteit kan jy altyd reken. Jou broer is gebore om jou te help wanneer daar probleme is.’ Selfs wanneer hulle die ergste van jou hoor, glo die toegewydes steeds die beste van jou. Hulle waardeer jou vir jou sterkpunte en bewys genade wanneer hulle jou swakpunte hanteer. Hierdie mense is van onskatbare waarde, want jy kan altyd op hulle reken. Wanneer God dus so ‘n persoon in jou lewe plaas, beskerm en koester jou verhouding met hulle.
Sielskos: Hoog 1-4; Mark 15:12-20; Ps 13; Spr 21:22-27
Proverbs 17:17 AMPC
Wherever you live and whatever your profession, “butcher, baker, or candlestick maker,” you will have to deal with these three kinds of people:
(1) The critic. Let’s face it, most people are comfortable with the status quo. They not only fear change but will often attack it. So if you dare to be different, prepare to sail through some rough seas. The apostle Paul’s critics referred to him as a madman, a fool, and a babbler. So why would you expect the same crowd to treat you any better?
(2) The cautious. These people won’t point an accusing finger, but neither will they extend a helping hand. When you get into trouble, they will distance themselves from you, fearing they may be tainted by your perceived liabilities. Basically, they will wait to see if you make it through the tunnel and come out the other side. Then they will wait to see who else accepts you and if you can be of benefit to them. Then they may reconnect with you. These people are users. They are not bad; they’re just self-serving. So love them, but don’t lean on them.
(3) The committed. “A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.” Even when they hear the worst about you, the committed still believe the best about you. They value you for your strengths and show grace in handling your weaknesses. These people are priceless because they will love you “at all times.” So when God puts such a person into your life, protect and nurture your relationship with them.
Soul food: Song of Sol 1-4; Mark 15:12-20; Ps 13; Prov 21:22-27
2022-09-27
Psalm 119:103 NIV
The fact that we now enjoy the vegetables we hated as children indicates that as we mature, we can cultivate a taste for healthy, life-giving food. And since the Bible is soul food, you can cultivate a taste for that too. Eugene Peterson writes: “Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in… a way that it gets metabolised into acts of love.”
Consumer research indicates the average Bible owner has nine Bibles and is looking for more. What’s wrong with this picture? The unexpressed secret is that many people find the Bible boring. This is quite a recent problem – and a serious one. Ancient Greek, the language of the New Testament, has no word for boredom. The word didn’t acquire its current meaning in English until the last few centuries. When we consider the ancient world – no television, internet, movies, and virtually no books – we’re inclined to think how boring it must have been. But the ancients weren’t bored.
We’re the generation that gets bored, because capacity to focus our attention and delight our minds in prolonged thought has been diminished by dependency on external stimuli. We have too many tempting alternatives. That’s why becoming a faithful Bible reader begins as a discipline, continues as a duty, and finally becomes a delight. “How sweet are your words… sweeter than honey to my mouth!” And that can be your experience, too, when it comes to reading God’s Word. You just need to get serious about it.
Soul food: 2 Cor 11:16-13:14; Mark 15:1-11; Ps 54; Prov 21:18-21
Psalm 119:103 NLV
Die feit dat ons nou groente geniet wat ons as kinders gehaat het, dui aan dat ons as volwassenes ‘n smaak vir gesonde, lewensgewende kos kan ontwikkel. Omdat die Bybel sielskos is, kan jy ook ‘n smaak daarvoor ontwikkel. Eugene Peterson skryf: ‘Christene voed op die Skrif. Die Heilige Skrif koester die heilige gemeenskap soos voedsel die menslike liggaam koester. Christene leer of bestudeer of gebruik nie bloot die Skrif nie; ons verteer dit en neem dit in ons lewens op op ‘n manier wat in liefdesdade gemetaboliseer word.’
Verbruikersnavorsing dui daarop dat die gemiddelde Bybeleienaar nege Bybels het en steeds meer wil hê. Wat is met hierdie prentjie verkeerd? Die onuitgesproke geheim is dat baie mense die Bybel vervelig vind. Dis ‘n redelike onlangse probleem – en ‘n ernstige een. Antieke Grieks, die taal waarin die Nuwe Testament geskryf is, het nie ‘n woord vir verveeldheid nie. Die woord het eers die laaste paar eeue sy huidige betekenis in Engels gekry. As ons die antieke wêreld in ag neem – geen televisie, internet, flieks en feitlik geen boeke nie – is ons geneig om te dink hoe vervelig dit moes gewees het. Die antieke mense was egter nie verveeld nie.
Ons is die generasie wat verveeld raak, omdat ons ons kapasiteit om ons aandag te fokus en ons gedagtes in langdurige gedagtegange te verlustig, as gevolg van ons afhanklikheid van eksterne stimuli, verklein het. Ons het te veel aanloklike alternatiewe. Dis hoekom dit dissipline verg om ‘n getroue Bybelleser te word en dit dan ‘n plig en uiteindelik ‘n plesier word. ‘Hoe aangenaam is u woorde vir my; dis soeter as heuning in my mond.’ Dit kan jou ervaring ook wees wanneer jy God se Woord lees. Jy moet net ernstig daaroor raak.
Sielskos: 2 Kor 11:16-13:14; Mark 15:1-11; Ps 54; Spr 21:18-21
2022-09-26
Philippians 4:8 NIV
To instruct us about how to feed our minds, the apostle Paul writes: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
John Ortberg writes: “The striking word in that command is whatever. Our minds are being shaped all the time, but we have great freedom to pursue minds that flourish. As a bee that can find nectar in all kinds of flowers, we are now free – even commanded – to feed our mind on noble thoughts wherever we find them. The Bible itself commands us to look beyond just the Bible to feed our minds. Let us meditate for a moment on that phrase ‘whatever is lovely.’ Think of something that is ‘lovely’ to you. A sunset. A favourite novel… The face of someone you love. Music that makes you dance. Let your mind dwell there for a moment. Give it directed mental focus. You just obeyed the Bible. That ‘counts.’ You just opened your mind a bit to the flow of the Holy Spirit… The Holy Spirit’s goal is not to get you really good at suppressing angry behaviour. It is for you to have a mind characterised by an ever-increasing flow of Spirit-guided, truth-based, life-producing thoughts and feelings. When we read about what is noble, when we see something praiseworthy, we experience what psychologist Jonathan Haidt called ‘elevation.’ We actually feel a slight expansion in our chest; we feel lighter in our bodies. Our emotions are inspired, and we want to become more excellent ourselves. That counts as obedience to Scripture. That is spiritual.”
Soul food: Num 29:1-6; Matt 24; Rev 11:15-19; 1 Cor 15:50-58
