2021-03-01
Isaiah 41:10 NKJV
Fear will rob you of your creativity and self-worth. It is the enemy of greatness; the antithesis of faith. The longer it lives inside you, the stronger it grows. And it’s fertilized by words; not just the words others say, but the words you say to yourself. When you tell yourself, “There’s no way I’m going to make it,” you’ve dented your armor and undermined your effectiveness. And if you let it fester, it will affect you like a plague.
To overcome fear, you must first identify and expose it. It will hide in your motives. It’ll drape itself in overprotectiveness, anger, pettiness, jealousy, and boasting so you don’t get overlooked. It’ll weigh you down with the responsibility of feeling like you have to look out for yourself, protect yourself, and defend yourself.
So when you’re fearful, what should you do? There’s only one guaranteed course of action: Stand up to your fears – within and without. Here’s a promise from God’s Word that’s as true today as it was when He first spoke it: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” In Scripture the term “God’s right hand” speaks of His willingness and power to work on your behalf. Two chapters later in Isaiah, God told the same people, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1 NKJV). And what God owns – He takes care of.
Soul food: Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
2021-02-28
Psalm 41:9 NLT
Not only must we leave room for unexpected disappointments and unknown variables in life, we must realize that inevitably we’ll be betrayed and hurt by other people. Perhaps they deceived us into believing they were trustworthy, or they began sincerely and became infected with the viruses of jealousy and greed. In either case, you’ll face betrayal at some point along the way. Even the psalmist David wrote: “My best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.” And included in the list of adversities Paul suffered in his ministry, are “false brethren” (See 2 Corinthians 11:26). Yes, as one author writes, “If you live long enough, you will discover how fickle and selfish the human heart can be.” And it’s often the people we love most and trust implicitly who have the greatest power to betray us.
So what can we do? We must deal with the hurt and anger, without allowing either one to blind us to the long-range consequences of bitterness. And don’t be deterred from your life’s goals or other relationships when it happens. Like a child who has learned to walk and gets tripped up by a bully, get back on your feet and continue your journey. You’ll be a little sore and a bit bruised at first, but the scabs will heal, and you’ll be stronger for having survived the fall. After lamenting about his friend who betrayed him, David said to God, “I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me. You have preserved my life” (Psalm 41:11-12 NLT). That’s the winning attitude!
Soul food: Exo 17:8-16; 2 Cor 1:3-7
2021-02-27
Isaiah 30:15 NKJV
As problems arise in your relationships, you’ll be forced to become a translator, negotiator, diplomat, and peacekeeper. And good communication skills are essential. Nothing is more frustrating than being misunderstood, misheard, ignored, or misconstrued.
But talking isn’t always the answer. Sometimes it empowers the problem. Our mistake is we often give too much verbiage to the issue; in other words, we talk about it when we should be quiet and focus on a solution. God has given you the gifts you need to change the situation. Don’t talk about it; instead, do it! If we misuse words or talk out of hand, it can lead us away from a solution we would otherwise see. James tells us that what we say has immense power for destruction. “The tongue…a little member…boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth” (James 3:5 KJV). Just our tone of voice can escalate a conversation into a raging fire! Don’t be the person with flames coming out of your mouth. Tame your tongue. Grab hold of the situation when it arises and bring light and life to it! Our conversations are to be seasoned with grace (See Colossians 4:6). Speak positively, because God is still on the throne and He has a plan.
Responding appropriately often requires quietness, then careful reflection. And sometimes it’s better just to remain quiet. When you’re anxious, chances are you’ll overtalk. When you’re angry, you’ll make the situation worse. And when you’re too aggressive, you’ll lose instead of winning. The Bible says, “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” And that’s a scriptural principle that always works.
Soul food: Gen 28:1-30:24; Matt 19:1-14; Ps 66:1-12; Prov 6:20-22
2021-02-26
Philippians 2:4 NKJV
When it comes to the truth, you should be unbending. But when it comes to relationships, you must learn to be flexible. If you always need to be “right” and make the other person “wrong,” you’ll never enjoy stable, long-lasting relationships.
One author writes: “We will not last together because we were never wrong. We will last because when we were wrong, we found the invincible will to correct the wrong and the grace to endure whatever it took to survive it together. Our families are never perfect, but that doesn’t mean we cannot find a way to make it across the tumultuous seas onto the shores of love and life. Coming from backgrounds with different traditions and conflicting ideas, we bring baggage and unrealistic expectations to our relationships whether we are conscious of it or not.”
So what should you do? He continues: “Create in yourself an openness to change and an understanding that much correction will be needed for what you will face together. Make this attitude your charter for how you will operate as a couple. Always be willing to recalibrate your relationship to ensure that decisions made at one stage of life now fit the growth and maturity of the present.”
Do you know what the biggest problem in our relationships is? Selfishness! We want to have things our own way. But that’s not the scriptural way. The Bible says, “Let each of you look out not only for his [or her] own interests, but also for the interests of others.” When you live with that kind of mind-set, you’ll enjoy rich, rewarding relationships.
Soul food: Gen 25:19-27:46; Matt 18:21-35; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2021-02-25
Proverbs 20:5 NLT
The founder of IBM, Thomas J. Watson, said: “Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity…Every time we’ve moved ahead in IBM it was because someone was willing to take a chance, put his head on the block, and try something new.”
Many of us have good ideas that never go anywhere. At some point, you must reduce your list to the best idea for you. This isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. Start with obvious ideas that can’t work because of budgets, timing, or lack of resources. Next, pool ideas that may be good, but don’t solve your particular problem. Timing is everything, and some great ideas are just ahead of their time. So keep an “idea file” and pull some of them out again next year.
But here’s a flashing red light: When your circle of advisors help you generate good ideas yet never see you acting on them, they will lose interest and you will end up on your own. The Bible says, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26 KJV). So commit yourself to a life of creativity, original thinking, and action! If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got. The classic advertisement for Apple Computer says it best: “Think different!”
Don’t take yourself too seriously! If an idea doesn’t work, don’t fall apart. Tick it off your list and move on to the next one. At some point you may discover that your good idea – is actually a God idea. When that happens, it changes everything!
Soul food: Gen 24:1-25:18; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
2021-02-24
Proverbs 24:6 NIV
Solomon said, “Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel” (v. 6 TM).
There are wise and experienced people around who are willing to help you, so get together with them periodically and brainstorm. Make sure everyone involved knows there are no limits, boundaries, or even budget constraints. The purpose is to get everything out on the table. You never know what your next big idea is, so don’t limit yourself to what you think is possible or affordable right now. Keep a list of the ideas you generate, and number them. That will help when you go back to review them, as well as give you some sense of how many ideas are being created.
Another suggestion is to hang poster board on the walls and have people randomly write or draw their ideas on it. It keeps people moving, ideas pumping, and momentum marching forward. And this is a forum where criticism isn’t allowed. Remember, if someone gives you an idea and you call it stupid or unworkable, chances are, it will be the last one you get from them. And who knows, their idea may have been the big one that solves the problem, opens the door, and gives you a future strategy.
Another word of advice: Limit your brainstorming sessions to an hour or so. Alfred Hitchcock famously quipped, “The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder!” It’s better to have shorter sessions, respect people’s time, thank them for their input, then ruminate on what you’ve discussed and get together again later.
Soul food: Gen 20-23; Matt 18:1-9; Ps 53; Prov 6:9-11
