2018-07-04
Proverbs 10:4 NLT
A leaf-cutting ant may carry up to fifty times its own weight more than a hundred meters. That’s the equivalent of a ninety kilogram man carrying five tons on his back for twenty seven kilometers! In a single summer, a large colony of ants may excavate thirteen to eighteen kilograms of earth to make a nest, and carry 2200 kilograms of material back into the nest for food. It can make as many as four round trips a day to food sources that may be more than hundred meters from the nest. That’s roughly equivalent to a person walking 100 kilometers. If the ant had the stride of a man, it would be capable of bursts of speed in excess of 32km per hour. One thing about an ant you can count on: He always gives his best and pulls his share of the load. Teach your kids that their reputation will never rise above their work ethic, and how people view them as workers. The success of the Walt Disney empire is based on the philosophy of its founder: “Whatever you do, do it so well that when people see you do it, they’ll want to come back and see you do it, and they’ll want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” Teach your children to work hard, always finish the job, and always give their best. If they learn that lesson well, you won’t have to teach them much about success – it will be their constant companion.
Soul food: 1 Sam 14-15; Luke 4:14-30; Ps 98; Prov 17:1-3
2018-07-03
Proverbs 14:23 NKJV
The ant never sees work as menial or beneath his dignity. Whether it’s moving dirt or carrying bread crumbs, he merrily goes along doing his job. How unlike that are many people today! Someone has quipped, “If you want to keep your teenagers out of hot water, put some dirty dishes in it!” All work can and should be done for the glory of God (See 1 Corinthians 10:31). The sum of the matter is found in this simple Bible statement: “In all labor there is profit.” Teach your children the old-fashioned way of getting money – working for it! The word “vocation” comes from the Latin word vocare, which means “to call.” So every job or vocation, regardless of what it is, is a calling from God. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rightly declared, “Not all men are called to specialized or professional jobs; even fewer to the heights of genius in the arts and sciences; many are called to be laborers in factories, fields, and streets. But no work is insignificant.” As a parent you are preparing your child for their work life, so prepare them well. If you don’t, they’ll have a life of grief, and create a life of grief for others. Plus, they may end up back on your doorstep! Bosses don’t pay workers who don’t work. So before you give your child an allowance, give them some chores like making their bed, cleaning their room, helping around the house, taking out the garbage, getting good grades in school, and doing their homework on time. Reward without responsibility is indulgence. And if you love your child you won’t do that!
Soul food: 1 Sam 11-13; Luke 4:1-13; Ps 95; Prov 16:31-33
2018-07-02
Proverbs 6:6 NLT
The Bible says: “Take a lesson from the ants…Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter” (vv. 6-7 NLT). While the queen ant is the center of attention and the mother of most of the ants in the colony, she’s not the chief ruler. The work and survival of the colony is insured by “soldier” ants. These servant-leaders are older ants that begin each new activity in the colony by doing the work themselves. The younger ants then imitate the servant-leaders and join in the work. There are no supervisors, chiefs, or officers amongst the ants. So when Solomon says the ants “have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work,” it means the ant is a self-starter; this is a picture of the diligent person he describes in Proverbs 10:4: “Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich” (NLT). When you see an ant carrying a piece of bread several times larger than himself up a steep slope, it’s a study in diligence! No matter how many times he drops the bread, he goes back and picks it up, and starts climbing again until he gets it to where it’s supposed to go. What drives him? Hunger – God’s motivating force to labor. “It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on” (Proverbs 16:26 NLT). The stomach-growl of a hungry man or woman is often God’s way of teaching us the value and importance of being willing to work.
Soul food: 1 Sam 8-10; Luke 3:21-38; Ps 64; Prov 16:26-30
2018-07-01
Matthew 5:9 NLT
When you’re a peace lover, it generally means you’re looking out for your own interests. But when you’re a peacemaker, you’re putting yourself on the line to help others. Making peace isn’t easy. When you decide to seek the middle ground, you discover that “he who stands in the middle of the road gets hit by both sides”! Let’s be honest; sometimes it’s easier to live with the apprehension and animosity, than the threat of change that comes through working for reconciliation. “As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). That means you must learn to speak and interact with people who think differently than you do. It doesn’t mean you have to change your views or your message, but sometimes it means you have to change your approach. Peacemaking means being willing to engage in a real dialogue with two people, rather than “sound bites” by only one. Risking rejection isn’t easy for anyone. That’s why the power of peacemakers is so crucial to conflict resolution. It’s too lofty a goal to expect that all differences will homogenize into one melting pot. A realistic goal is a salad – a combined mixture of ingredients with each retaining its unique flavor and texture. True peacemaking begins in the heart, not the head. The Bible says, “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV). When people feel loved and understood, they take down their barriers and begin to connect with one another. And when that happens, it can not only resolve the issue, but heal hearts and minds. That’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Soul food: Matt 5:6; Isa 55:1-7; Ps 63:1-5; John 4:1-34
2018-06-30
John 18:37 NIV
When you know what your God-given assignment in life is, and that God is on your side, you become virtually unstoppable. Will you make mistakes? Sure, but God loves you enough to correct you, redirect you, and get you back on track. “How do I go about discovering my assignment?” you ask. Here are fourteen helpful questions to ask yourself: (1) What desires have been living in me most of my life? (2) What motivates me to work hard and be productive? (3) What keeps me going forward when I’m worn out? (4) What makes me refuse to quit when I meet with resistance? (5) What do I do that doesn’t seem like work? (6) What do I do that brings a positive response and support from people? (7) What am I doing or what’s happening in my life when doors seem to open automatically and effortlessly? (8) What do wise leaders and godly counselors think about my work? (9) What makes me feel good about being who I am? (10) What makes my creative juices flow? (11) What am I willing to sacrifice in order to accomplish it? (12) What am I doing that I’d be proud to offer for God’s approval? (13) What would I do without being paid for it if I could afford to? (14) What would I be willing to withstand Satan on in order to accomplish? Prayerfully consider these fourteen questions, and they will shed light on your God-given assignment in life.
Soul food: 1 Sam 4-7; Luke 3:11-20; Ps 59:9-17; Prov 16:23-26
2018-06-29
Proverbs 14:34 NKJV
The well-known atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair once said, “Nothing good has ever come from Christianity. And if Christianity hasn’t, in fact, done good and produced good we must reject it.” Even Christ Himself said, “You shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16 NKJV). But with every word of Christ that’s been preached, lives have been transformed and incredible good done for society. Take science, for example. As one expert pointed out, science could never have originated in any other culture. It couldn’t possibly have originated in the Muslim culture because of its belief in fatalism, which absolutely prevents any concept of scientific progress. Nor could it have originated among the Buddhists, or the Hindus of Asia, because of their belief that the physical world isn’t real, that nothing exists but God, and that all this is merely imagination. Only through Christianity could science have come to be! Think about those who have gone into the slums to rescue the derelict, like the Salvation Army, the City Mission, and the YMCA. Christians have given themselves to such people as these. Today with the removal of Scripture from much of our culture, we’re seeing decay and corruption set in. So what’s the answer? Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13 NKJV). So get your saltshaker out and start spreading the life-changing truth of God’s Word! Jesus also said, “You are the light of the world” (v. 14 NKJV). There’s not enough darkness in the whole world to extinguish the light of one small candle. So let your light shine.
Soul food: 1 Sam 1-3; Luke 3:1-10; Ps 59:1-8; Prov 16:20-22
