2020-09-16
James 3:2 NKJV
Striving to do better is a good thing, but try to have realistic expectations. Everything in life isn’t black or white; there are gray areas and some “in-betweens.” Everything can’t be perfect all the time, and everything isn’t horrible all the time. Deciding to skip a meeting or social event because you’re running five minutes late or have a blemish on your face, or cancelling an entire trip because a flight is delayed, or feeling like a terrible human being over one innocent mistake, is sometimes referred to as “polarizing.” This leads to frustration and negativity. To maintain your joy in life, you must accept that you won’t be perfect all the time, and neither will the people or things around you. When you expect perfection from life, you tend to expect the same from other people. And that kind of unrealistic thinking not only meets with a great deal of disappointment when your expectations aren’t met, it puts unbearable pressure on the people you care about and can eventually destroy those relationships. Why not give people a break and stop demanding something from them that they have no ability to give you? The apostle James said we all stumble, fall, and offend in many things. So if we all make mistakes – and we do – learn to accept that it’s just part of the human experience, and relax! Question: In what specific ways do you need to be more accepting of the “imperfect areas” in your own life, or in the way someone else’s imperfect areas affect you? And before you answer, think about this: “Love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV).
Soul food: Eze 40:10-42:20; Luke 22:24-38; Ps 24; Prov 21:1-2
2020-09-15
1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV
Do you feel like joining a different church where people are “more like you”? A team of missionaries to Kenya were being driven across the plains to their destination by a Masai tribal escort. En route their attention became riveted on the herds of wildebeests and zebras migrating together. Their escort explained why two massive herds of such different species would travel together. He said that while wildebeests have poor eyesight, they have a keen sense of smell, whereas zebras have good eyesight and a poor sense of smell. So together they were less vulnerable to attack because their differences compensated for their weaknesses. Paul writes, “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?” (v. 17 NIV). That reminds you of those zebras and wildebeests, doesn’t it? When we join a club, we usually choose to be with people who are more or less like us. But membership in Christ’s body throws us together with people who are as different from us as a hand is from a nose. And while those differences can rub you the wrong way at times, they are differences God designed to benefit you. Zebras and wildebeests don’t have to like each other, but their survival and success depend on getting along together. Your spiritual growth doesn’t depend on agreeing with everybody, but it does depend on loving them enough to live together agreeably!
Soul food: Eze 37:1-40:9; Luke 22:14-23; Ps 78:65-72; Prov 20:26-30
2020-09-14
1 Corinthians 12:25 CEV
When it comes to finding a church home, your options are unlimited. Traditional, contemporary, you name it – you can probably find it! But your individual place in the body of Christ is another matter entirely; that’s not determined by you, but by God. The Bible says, “By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body” (v. 13 NKJV). When you accept Jesus as your Saviour you become a member of His redeemed family and a “miracle of placement” takes place in you. It isn’t a choice you get to make; it’s God’s choice – and it determines your spiritual identity. Paul says: “Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body…The old labels we…used to identify ourselves – labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free – are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive” (v. 13 MSG). That means anybody anywhere in the world who names Jesus as their Saviour and Lord is more connected to you than your hand is to your wrist. And you have a role to play in relation to each and every one of them. God not only placed you in His body, He determined your unique role when He arranged “the parts…just as he wanted them to be” (v. 18 NIV). He also gave you certain “gifts,” and He expects you to use them to fulfill His purposes (See Romans 12:6-8). When you ask God to show you your gifts, He will. And when He does, you must take every opportunity to use them for His glory.
Soul food: Eze 34-36; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 78:56-64; Prov 20:25
2020-09-13
Proverbs 22:6 AMPC
The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.” The truth of the matter is that while certain universal principles apply to all children, no two are alike, and it’s a mistake to treat them as if they were. In fact, here are two of the most common blunders you can make as a parent: (1) Trying to mold your child into what you used to be. Just because you were a star football player in college doesn’t mean your son will want to follow in your footsteps. And just because you made straight A’s in school doesn’t necessarily mean your children are capable of a 4.0 grade point average. While you should never tolerate or reward laziness, you need to accept that not all children are equally gifted athletically or intellectually. (2) Trying to make them into what you want them to be. Don’t try to relive your life through your kids. You had your chance, and just because you didn’t make the grade as a professional athlete doesn’t mean you should force your son or daughter in that direction. The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent],” not necessarily the way you would go, or want him or her to go. There are three hallmarks of healthy self-esteem you should continually strive to teach your children: (1) Know who you are; (2) Like who you are; (3) Be who you are.
Soul food: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; John 12:1-8
2020-09-12
Proverbs 29:17 MSG
Several years ago, sociologists and child psychologists made an interesting discovery. Contemporary thought assumed that putting fences around playgrounds made children feel restricted in their recreation. And based on that theory it was decided to remove the fences so children wouldn’t feel confined. To the astonishment of the experts, the opposite effect occurred. Researchers found that children became more inhibited in their activities. They tended to huddle toward the middle of the playground and exhibited signs of insecurity. Interestingly, when the fences were replaced, the children once more played with great enthusiasm and freedom. What’s the lesson here? We all need boundaries – something to define the limits of safety and security. Whereas the “experts” theorized that boundaries restrict creativity, children on the playground proved that we need a clear understanding of what’s safe and acceptable in order for ingenuity and inventiveness to flourish. That means your children will flourish and you’ll function better as a parent when guidelines are clearly communicated, and the consequences for not following them are completely understood. There’s a humorous story of a father who gave his sixteen-year-old son his first car. Before handing him the keys, he said, “This is a magic car, Son.” “Really?” the boy replied. “Yeah,” answered his dad. “One speeding ticket – and it will disappear!” And the first car you buy for your child should be a “magic” car too. Bottom line: God sets the rules for success in life, and He rewards those who honour them. In the words of Scripture: “Study this Book of Instruction continually…obey everything written in it…then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8 NLT).
Soul food: Eze 31-33; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 78:40-55; Prov 20:22-24
2020-09-11
Proverbs 23:13 NKJV
When it comes to discipline, your primary concern should never be your own comfort, but the “soul” [mind, will and emotions] of your child! Discipline, or the lack thereof, can set off a good or bad chain reaction. If your children don’t respect authority in the home, they won’t respect it in the school, the government, the church, or ultimately even heaven itself. It’s just a small step from rebelling against the parents God gave them, to rebelling against the God who gave them their parents. And discipline should begin sooner rather than later. When a child is old enough to be told to do what’s right and they choose to do what’s wrong – that child is ready to be disciplined. The Bible doesn’t specify an age limit in its definition of the word “child.” Just because your child is old enough to drive, shave, and date, doesn’t mean they’re beyond correction. They may be too old for a swat on the behind, but there are other, more effective ways to discipline an adolescent or teenager. If you read the book of Proverbs carefully, you’ll find that Solomon was talking to a son who was old enough to join a street gang, be tempted by sexual sin, patronize prostitutes, go into debt, and get drunk. He wasn’t necessarily talking about first-graders. Bottom line: As long as your children are under your roof, they are under your jurisdiction, and you will give an account to God for how you used – or didn’t use – your authority.
Soul food: Eze 27:25-30:26; Luke 21:12-24; Ps 78:32-39; Prov 20:20-21
