2024-01-25
1 Timothy 4:14 NKJV
The only way to keep improving is to keep practicing. Nancy Dornan says, “The longest distance between two points is a shortcut.” That’s really true. If you desire to grow in a particular area, figure out what it will really take, including the price, then determine to pay it. David didn’t suddenly discover his talent as a harpist when he arrived at King Saul’s palace. He developed it through years of practice on lonely hillsides while tending his father’s sheep. Paul instructed Timothy: “Till I come, give attention to reading… Do not neglect the gift that is in you… Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all” (vv. 13-15 NKJV).
When you’re through growing – you’re through. Progress, success, and growth don’t happen by osmosis, they demand discipline. There is no easy way to become a disciplined person. The reason last year’s winner was this year’s runner-up is because one was willing to go the extra mile when it came to practice and discipline, and the other wasn’t. Anyone who does what he or she must do only when they’re in the mood or when it’s convenient will get left behind.
Improvement comes through discipline. A disciplined person doesn’t make excuses or accept excuses; they eliminate excuses. As French classical writer François de La Rochefoucauld said, “Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we think up to hide them.” If you have several reasons why you can’t be disciplined, realize they’re just a bunch of excuses – all of which need to be challenged if you want to succeed in what God has called you to do.
Soul food: Jam 3-5; Matt 8:28-34; Ps 96; Prov 3:5-6
2024-01-24
Mark 7:14 NKJV
Jesus said, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand.” He spoke life-changing words, but He understood that preoccupied minds don’t always listen too well. Are you a good listener?
(1) If you’re a leader, do you listen to your followers? The kind of leaders people want to follow do more than conduct business when they interact with you; they take the time to get a feel for who you are as a person. Philip Stanhope, the earl of Chesterfield, believed, “Many a man would rather you heard his story than granted his request.” If you’re accustomed to listening only to the facts and not the person who expresses them, change your focus – really listen.
(2) If you’re in business, do you listen to your customers? A Cherokee saying states, “Listen to the whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams.” Never get so caught up in your own ideas and products that you don’t hear your customers’ concerns, complaints, and suggestions. In his book, Business @ the Speed of Thought, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates said, “Unhappy customers are always a concern. They’re also your greatest opportunity.” That’s why you should make it a priority to keep in contact with the people you’re serving.
(3) If you’re committed to growth, are you listening to your mentors? You will never become so advanced or experienced that you can afford to be without mentors. If you don’t have some, go out and find them. If you can’t get some, begin by reading the right books, starting with your Bible. If you’re not following in the footsteps of someone wiser, there is a good chance you’re not on the right path.
Soul food: Jam 1-2; Matt 8:18-27; Ps 91; Prov 3:3-4
2024-01-23
Psalm 139:13-14 MSG
In order for your child to thrive and have self-worth, they must understand four things:
(1) How God feels about them. The psalmist says, “His love never quits” (Psalm 136:1 MSG). Knowing this is foundational to your child’s spiritual development and to their relationship with God.
(2) How you feel about them. So, let them know that though you correct them, you will never reject them.
(3) How they feel about themselves. The most painful aspect of growing up is related to the assault on self-esteem that’s almost universal in today’s teen society. Young people typically feel like fools and failures before they have even had a chance to get started in life. So, tell them they are a “work in progress” with incredible potential. “You formed me in my mother’s womb… Body and soul, I am marvelously made!” (Psalm 139:13-14 MSG). Help them to discover their God-given gifts and develop them – electronics, art, music, or even raising rabbits for fun and profit. Anything! It’s not so much what you teach your child; the key is that they are learning something with which to compensate when the whole world seems to be saying, “Who are you, and what is your significance?” The teenager who has no answer to these questions is left unprotected at a very vulnerable time in life. So, developing and honing skills with which to compensate may be one of the most valuable contributions you as a parent can make.
(4) How their peers feel about them. If they approve, that’s good. But if they don’t, and you have gotten the first three things right, your child will still thrive.
Soul food: Dan 11-12; Matt 8:10-17; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 3:1-2
2024-01-22
Luke 12:48 NKJV
One author writes: “It took me half my life to discover the great power of choices and chances. Good relationships are God’s gift to you; what you do with them is your response to Him. Too often we drape our passivity, or lack of courage, or disregard for our relationships in the frayed tapestry of fate. We weave excuses and give alibis to our guilty hearts, which failed to alter circumstances. We then dismiss our responsibility like a cheap attempt at religious absolution, living in denial that things could have been better in our relationships had we taken action sooner. The worst part of it is that many foolishly charge God and hold Him liable for relationships they themselves could have changed. God’s grace gives us opportunities, each relationship being a gift to be unwrapped and enjoyed. We must seize each precious moment as an adventure. If we are aware of the potential of each relationship, our hearts will be penetrated by the urgency to make each encounter the very best. You had a chance not to marry her, or to make that call, or to be the first to apologize, or to embrace your heart’s desire. The choices are yours. So, you must say every day, ‘I’ll take my chances, activate my choices, go through my changes, and make my decisions.’ And when the day is done, you will say to yourself, ‘It was my life and my relationships, and I am responsible for both.'”
Jesus said, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” Do you have a relationship problem? Take action!
Soul food: Dan 8-10; Matt 8:1-9; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 2:21-22
2024-01-21
Psalm 62:10 NIV
Let’s settle it once and for all. If God can trust you with money, He will bless you financially (See 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 NIV). But His blessings come with certain conditions, and here are four you need to honour.
(1) Don’t try to claim credit. God told the Israelites, “You may say to yourself… ‘My hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord… for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth… If you ever forget… you will surely be destroyed” (Deuteronomy 8:17-19 NIV).
(2) Don’t forget others. The Bible commands “those who are rich in this present world… to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds… generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves” (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV).
(3) Don’t become arrogant. Jeremiah admonishes us, “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong… of their strength or the rich… of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV).
(4) Don’t allow anything to take God’s place., “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?'” (Proverbs 30:8-9 NIV). Remember, you don’t own anything – you’re just an administrator of God’s estate and an executor of His will. It’s an awesome responsibility, so make sure you do a good job.
Soul food: Exo 20:7; Isa 29:22-24; Matt 6:9; Phil 2:5-11
2024-01-20
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
Who in the Bible would you say had the best marriage? Adam and Eve started in Paradise, and it all went downhill from there. Abraham lied and said his wife, Sarah, was his sister, then impregnated her servant, Hagar. Isaac and Rebekah spent much of their marriage battling because he favoured Esau and she favoured Jacob. Jacob had children by two different wives, and the wives’ servants. All we know of Moses’ wife is they had an argument over circumcising their son and she called Moses a “bridegroom of blood” (Exodus 4:26 NIV). David was a disaster as a husband, and Solomon was worse. When Job’s life got hard, his wife told him, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9 NIV).
In fairy tales, life is a difficult adventure until you get married – then you live happily ever after. But nowhere in the Bible does a couple get married and then live happily ever after. Marriage doesn’t save anyone, only Jesus does. Yet how often in churches do couples sit in silent agony? They have an image of spiritual success to project, but they don’t enjoy intimacy. Or there is abuse going on. Or their young daughter is pregnant, and they have no idea what to do. Or one of them is a closet alcoholic. Or they’re facing bankruptcy.
Frequently people who need help the most receive it the least, because they would have to step down from their pedestal. But what if real people could be as truthful as the Bible about marriage? In Scripture, marriage is a place where we learn, receive God’s grace, and grow together in love.
Soul food: Dan 5-7; Matt 7:15-29; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 2:20
