2022-04-20
Proverbs 24:16 NIV
Have you ever seen a child learning to walk? Falling down is an important part of the process. Getting back up again is crucial to developing the child’s balance and muscles. Every horse rider will face a fall, usually when they least expect it, but they know it’s important to get back on the horse, readjust what they’re doing, and try again. It’s a learning experience. A boxer isn’t disqualified because they get knocked down; they’re disqualified because they don’t get back up. Even the most skilful boxers know they’ll go down at some point, so they learn the art of falling safely and getting up quickly. Children, riders, and boxers all learn this: it’s all about getting up again.
The Bible tells us that falling happens to righteous people and unrighteous people. Believers aren’t immune from falling. It’s getting up again that sets them apart: ‘Even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up. But when trouble strikes the wicked, that’s the end of them’ (v.16 CEV). Unrighteous people stay down, but righteous people get up again.
In Scripture, some of God’s greatest servants fell into personal failure. Abram lied to Pharaoh about his wife, Sarai (see Genesis 12:11-17). Jacob deceived his father and stole his brother’s birth right (see Genesis 27:17-29). In anger, Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock (see Numbers 20:7-12). But instead of being disqualified, they ‘were all commended for their faith’ (Hebrews 11:39 NIV), because they acknowledged their sins and received God’s forgiveness.
In other words, they fell, but they got up again. And when we fall, we can get up again too. That’s the ‘faith’ part of our journey. Staying down is failure accepted – getting back up is faith activated.
1 Cor 7-9; Luke 24:36-44; Ps 127; Pro 10:11
2022-04-19
2 Corinthians 5:19 NIV
God created us to have unbroken fellowship with Him and with each other. That’s why Satan’s first scheme was to separate us from God, and from each other. Using things like pride, stubbornness, confusion, resentment, and selfishness, he drives wedges and promotes disunity. What starts out as a misunderstanding can end in angry stand-offs or toxic silences that last for hours, days, and sometimes years.
We might think that it’s nothing to do with anyone else because it doesn’t affect them, but the truth is that the fallout from a major disagreement can’t be contained. A grudge against one person can begin to infect every relationship in our lives in some way, and it’s often because the disagreement becomes the focus of our lives and we’re determined to prove we’re right and the other person is wrong at every opportunity. It’s a serious problem that needs a divine solution.
Paul wrote, ‘God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.’ Sin destroyed our relationship with God, but He took the initiative by giving Jesus ‘as a ransom [a price paid] for many’ (Mark 10:45 NIV) in order to reconcile us to Himself. Reconciling means bringing back together what belongs together. God doesn’t count ‘people’s sins against them’, but that doesn’t mean He trivialises or ignores our sin debt.
He cancelled it at the cross and stopped holding it against us. And it didn’t end there. He made us ‘Christ’s representatives’ (2 Corinthians 5:20 MSG), calling us ‘to settle our relationships with each other’ (v.19 MSG). Sometimes that means practising humility, becoming the reconciler, taking the initiative, and ending the grudge. Are you ready to do that today?
1 Cor 4-6; Luke 24:25-35; Ps 43; Pro 10:10
2 Corinthians 5:19 NIV
God created us to enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him and each other. (And he designed marriage as the epitome of human relationships.) That’s why Satan’s first ploy was to separate us from God – and from each other. Using things like pride, stubbornness, confusion, resentment, and selfishness, he drives wedges and polarizes relationships. What starts out as a misunderstanding often ends in angry standoffs or toxic silences that last for hours, days, and sometimes years.
Furthermore, we delude ourselves by thinking it’s nobody else’s business. The fallout can’t be contained. It affects every relationship in our lives – all because we’re determined to prove we’re right and the other person is wrong. And it’s not just a psychological problem; it’s a sin problem in need of a divine solution!
Here is how God handles polarized relationships. Paul writes, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” Sin destroyed our relationship with God. Yet He took the initiative by giving Jesus “as a ransom [price paid] for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV), in order to reconcile us to Himself. Reconciling means bringing back together what belongs together! Notice this: God doesn’t count “people’s sins against them.” Neither does He trivialize or ignore our sin debt. He canceled it at the cross and stopped holding it against us. And it didn’t end there. He “made us agents of… reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 PHPS) by calling us “to settle our relationships with each other” (v. 19 MSG).
Sometimes that means eating humble pie, becoming the reconciler, taking the initiative, and ending the standoff. Are you ready to do that today?
Soul food: 1 Cor 4-6; Luke 24:25-35; Ps 43; Pro 10:10
2 Korintiërs 5:19 NLV
God het ons geskep om ongebroke genootskap met Hom en mekaar te geniet. Dis hoekom Satan se eerste plan was om ons van God – en van mekaar – te skei. Deur dinge soos trots, hardkoppigheid, verwardheid, wrokkigheid en selfsug te gebruik, dryf hy ‘n wig tussen ons in en polariseer verhoudings. Wat as ‘n misverstand begin het, eindig dikwels op in woedende rusies of toksiese stiltes wat vir ure, dae en selfs jare kan aanhou.
Ons mislei onsself ook deur te dink dat dit niemand anders se besigheid is nie. Die effek daarvan kan nie bedwing word nie. Dit affekteer elke verhouding in ons lewens – net omdat ons vasbeslote is om te bewys dat ons reg en die ander persoon verkeerd is. Dis nie net ‘n sielkundige probleem nie; dis ‘n sondige probleem wat ‘n goddelike oplossing benodig!
Paulus skryf: ‘Die boodskap van versoening bestaan daarin dat God deur Christus die wêreld met Homself versoen het en nie die mense se oortredings teen hulle hou nie…’ Sonde het ons verhouding met God vernietig. Tog het Hy die inisiatief geneem deur Jesus as ‘n ‘…losprys vir baie mense…’ (Markus 10:45 NLV), te gee, om ons met Homself te versoen. Versoening beteken om dit wat saamhoort weer bymekaar terug te bring!
Let op: God hou nie ‘…die mense se oortredings teen hulle…nie.’ Hy het dit aan die kruis gekanselleer en opgehou om dit teen ons te hou. Dit het ook nie daar geëindig nie. ‘…Die boodskap van die versoening het Hy aan ons opgedra om te gaan verkondig’ (2 Korintiërs 5:19 NLV), en om ons verskille met mekaar op te los. Soms beteken dit dat jy jou woorde sluk, die versoener word, die inisiatief neem en die stryd beëindig. Is jy vandag gereed om dit te doen?
Sielskos: 1 Kor 4-6; Luk 24:25-35; Ps 43; Spr 10:10
2022-04-18
Kolossense 3:13 NLV
Indien jy ‘n suksesvolle verhouding wil bou, moet jy op die ander persoon se sterkpunte, in plaas van hulle swakpunte, fokus. Benjamin Franklin het gesê: ‘Hou jou oë voor die tyd wawyd oop en na die tyd halfmas oop.’ Dis ‘n fout om te vinnig ‘n lewenslange verhouding aan te knoop sonder om die tyd te neem om eers die ander persoon te leer ken. As jy nie voor die tyd omsigtigheid aan die dag lê nie, sal jy na die tyd probleme hê.
‘n Belangrike verhoudingsbeginsel lê egter daarin om te leer om te vergewe en te vergeet. Vergifnis kan baie moeilik wees wanneer die oortreding groot is. Klein oortredings kan gewoonlik maklik en vinnig vergewe word; groot oortredings verg ‘n proses van genesing. Totdat jy egter besluit om te vergewe en te vergeet, kan hierdie proses nie begin nie.
Paulus skryf: ‘Julle is die mense wat God uitgekies het… Daarom moet julle die volgende soos klere aantrek: deernis, vriendelikheid, nederigheid, sagmoedigheid, geduld. Verdra mekaar en… vergewe mekaar. Vergewe mekaar soos die Here julle vergewe het. Die heel belangrikste wat julle moet aantrek, is die liefde. Die liefde bind alles volmaak saam’ (verse 12-14 NLV).
Een skrywer stel dit so: ‘As jy nie van iets hou nie, verander dit. As jy dit nie kan verander nie, verander jou houding daar teenoor. Moenie kla nie.’ Met ander woorde, wanneer jy iets nie kan verander nie, bid vir genade en leer om daarmee saam te leef.
Hoekom is dit nodig dat ons vergewe en vergeet? Omdat God so sê! Jy is nie ontwerp om die fisiese en geestelike stres wat met wrokkigheid gepaard gaan, te dra nie. Buitendien: Jy mag dalk self vergifnis nodig hê voor die dag verby is (sien Galasiërs 6:1).
Sielskos: 1 Kor 1-3; Luk 24:13-24; Ps 56; Spr 10:8-9
