2022-02-28
2 Korintiërs 12:15 NLV
Om mense te help, bring groot vervulling mee. Wanneer jy jou dae gebruik om ander te dien, kan jy jou kop in die aand neerlê en rustig slaap. Selfs al het jy die meeste van jou lewe bestee om selfsugtige winste na te jaag, is dit nooit te laat om jou hart te verander nie.
Dis wat Alfred Nobel gedoen het. Hy was geskok toe hy sy doodsberig in die koerant sien. (Sy broer het gesterf en die redakteur het foutiewelik Alfred se naam in die berig genoem, omdat die plofstof wat sy maatskappy gemaak het, baie mense doodgemaak het.) Dus het Nobel besluit om die res van sy lewe daaraan te wy om vrede te bevorder en erkenning te gee aan bydraes tot die mensdom. Dis hoe die idee van die Nobelpryse ontstaan het!
Wanneer jy buite jouself kyk en ‘n bydrae aan ander mense maak, begin jy werklik lewe. Onselfsugtigheid is sy eie beloning; dit hang nie van ander mense se reaksie af nie. Dis die beginsel waarvolgens die apostel Paulus gelewe het: ‘Ek sou baie graag alles wou spandeer vir julle lewe, ja, ook myself. As ek julle uitermate liefhet, hoe werk dit dat julle my dan minder liefhet?’ (vers 15 NLV).
Wanneer jy ‘n vierjarige sien, verwag jy selfsug. Wanneer jy dit egter in ‘n veertigjarige sien, is dit nie baie aantreklik nie. Van al die kwaliteite wat jy kan najaag, blyk onselfsugtigheid die grootste verskil te maak om ander deugde aan te kweek. Ja, dit dreun teen die menslike aard in. As jy egter leer om op ‘n onselfsugtige wyse te dink en ‘n gewer te word, word dit makliker om ander deugde soos dankbaarheid, liefde, respek, geduld en dissipline, te ontwikkel.
Sielskos: Eks 7-9; Luk 12:13-21; Ps 61; Spr 6:16-19
2022-02-27
Ephesians 5:16 NASB
The life of John Wesley is a great example of the scriptural principle ‘making the most of your time’. During his lifetime, he wrote, edited and published a huge amount of work. Among other things, he produced a four-volume commentary on the entire Bible, a five-volume work on natural philosophy, a four-volume work on church history, and a dictionary of the English language. He also wrote histories of England and Rome; books about the languages of Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French, and English; three works on medicine; six volumes of church music; and seven volumes of sermons; and he edited a library of fifty volumes known as the ‘Christian Library’.
Even for a very productive person, that sounds like a full-time effort. But he still made time for God and ministry. He averaged three sermons a day for fifty-four years and preached over 44,000 times in his life. His work meant that he travelled more than 200,000 miles – that’s about 5,000 miles a year. Wesley packed so much into each day!
Today, we have instant communication, travelling is much faster and easier, plus countless other things designed to make everyday tasks quicker and more convenient. Surely we can spare a few minutes for God! When we feel Him urging us to spend time with Him or to do something for His kingdom, let’s remember John Wesley’s example and willingly give our time to God. ‘Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity’ (v.15-16 NIV).
Ruth 1:3-18; John 6:41-69
Ephesians 5:16 NAS
The life of John Wesley is a great example of the scriptural principle “making the most of your time.” He averaged three sermons a day for fifty-four years, preaching a total of more than 44,000 times in his life. In doing this he traveled by horseback and carriage more than 200,000 miles – about 5,000 miles a year.
Even for a very productive man, that would seem to be a full-time effort. Still, Wesley found time to write and edit. His published works include a four-volume commentary on the entire Bible, a five-volume work on natural philosophy, a four-volume work on church history, and a dictionary of the English language. He also wrote histories of England and Rome; grammars on the Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French, and English languages; three works on medicine; six volumes of church music; and seven volumes of sermons; and he edited a library of fifty volumes known as the “Christian Library.” Each day he rose at 4 a.m. and didn’t go to bed until 10 p.m., allowing only brief periods for meals. Yet he declared, “I have more hours of private retirement than any man in England.”
Our days are like identical suitcases – all the same size. But some pack more into them than others. These are purpose-driven, goal-oriented people – unlike the man whose tombstone read, “When it came time to die, I discovered I had not lived.” So heed this Scripture: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (vv. 15-16 NIV).
Soul food: Ruth 1:3-18; John 6:41-69
Efesiërs 5:16 NLV
Die lewe van John Wesley is ‘n goeie voorbeeld van die Skriftuurlike beginsel om elke geleentheid te benut. Hy het gemiddeld drie preke per dag vir vier-en-vyftig jaar gepreek, ‘n totaal van meer as 44,000 preke in sy leeftyd. Om dit te kon regkry, het hy met ‘n perdekar meer as 200,000 myle gereis – omtrent 5,000 myl per jaar. Selfs vir ‘n baie produktiewe mens sal dit soos ‘n voltydse werk lyk.
Tog het Wesley ook tyd gemaak om te skryf en te redigeer. Sy gepubliseerde werke sluit vier volumes Bybelse kommentaar, vyf volumes oor natuurlike filosofie, vier volumes oor kerkgeskiedenis en ‘n woordeboek vir die Engelse taal, in. Hy het ook geskiedenisboeke oor Engeland en Rome, taalkundige boeke oor Hebreeus, Latyn, Grieks, Frans en die Engelse tale; drie werke oor die mediese veld; ses volumes kerkmusiek; en sewe volumes preke geskryf; en hy het ‘n biblioteek van vyftig volumes wat as die ‘Christelike Biblioteek’ bekend gestaan het, geredigeer. Hy het elke oggend vieruur opgestaan en eers tienuur die aand gaan slaap, en homself net kort tye vir maaltye gegun. Tog het hy verklaar: ‘Ek het meer ure van ontspanning as enige ander man in Engeland.’
Ons dae is soos identiese tasse – almal dieselfde grootte. Sommige mense pak egter meer in hulle as ander. Hierdie is die doelgedrewe mense – anders as die man wie se grafsteen gelees het: ‘Toe dit by afsterwe kom, het ek ontdek dat ek nie gelewe het nie.’ Luister dus na hierdie Skrifgedeelte: ‘Wees baie versigtig hoe julle lewe. Moenie soos ‘n dwaas leef nie, leef wys! Benut elke geleentheid…’ (verse 15-16 NLV).
Sielskos: Rut 1:3-18; Joh 6:41-69
2022-02-26
Jeremiah 31:18 KJV
The Bible tells us: ‘Isaac’s servants dug…a well…But the herdsmen of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So…they dug another well, and they quarrelled over that one also….And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called it…Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land”‘ (Genesis 26:19-22 NKJV). It’s a great example of forgiveness in action. During a drought, Isaac dug wells and his enemies moved in and claimed them. It wasn’t fair, but instead of retaliating, he moved on and dug new wells, and God blessed him greatly.
When we refuse to forgive those who’ve hurt us, we’re left feeling incomplete and empty. But when we choose forgiveness, God fills the emptiness we feel. As long as we share this planet with other imperfect human beings, we won’t avoid being hurt. There’s no way to avoid it. When the hurt goes deep, it can be really hard to forgive. That doesn’t mean we should go around pretending that nothing’s wrong and denying how we really feel.
The first step towards healing is acknowledging our feelings. And Jesus gives us the second step: ‘Pray for those who mistreat you’ (Luke 6:28 NIV). When we do that, something unexpected happens. Our hearts soften and we start to see the other person through God’s eyes instead of through the (often misleading) lens of our own raw emotions. But what if we don’t actually want to forgive them? Then here’s step three. We need to acknowledge our unwillingness to forgive and ask God to make us willing. Pray, ‘Turn thou me, and I shall be turned.’
Exo 4-6; Luke 12:1-12; Ps 58; Pro 6:12-15
