2022-04-07
John 4:34 CEV
Over the next couple of days, let’s take a look at Jesus’ work philosophy – His attitude, values, and beliefs – on how to get things done. The principles He lived by call for these: 1) Being clear about our assignments. Jesus said, ‘I must finish the work that he gave me to do.’ He understood that being focused really helps us maximise our skills and recognise opportunities. If we’re talented, energetic, and active, but we’re still not seeing definite results, it’s worth considering if we’re lacking focus. When Nehemiah was rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, his enemies said, ‘Come, let us meet together’ (Nehemiah 6:2 NKJV). That’s when Nehemiah sent back this message: ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down’ (v.3 NKJV).
2) Prioritising tasks in the order of their importance. When we don’t do what has to be done according to its importance, jobs start to arrange themselves according to their urgency. And when that happens, we can miss some great opportunities. The Bible says Jesus ‘needed to go through Samaria’ (John 4:4 NKJV). To the disciples, this probably looked like a diversion because it wasn’t the shortest route to where they wanted to go. But there was a woman in Samaria Jesus wanted to redeem; a vessel through which He reached the entire city with the gospel. Jesus was clear about His priorities, and we need to be too.
3) Creating a definite timetable. In other words, set deadlines and stick with them. Jesus knew He had only three-and-a-half years to get the job done, so He made every day count. One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is, ‘I’ll get to it later.’ Instead, let’s allow Jesus’ work philosophy to become our master plan.
Lev 11:1-13:37; Luke 22:24-38; Ps 50:16-23; Pro 9:12
2022-04-06
2 Timothy 1:7 MSG
If we want to be good demonstrators of God’s love, good motivators, and good role models, we first need to be secure in our identity. Paul told Timothy, ‘God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.’ We must be certain that God called us, equipped us, and guaranteed our ultimate success in fulfilling His plan. It’s important that we keep all this in mind when people stop liking us, when things don’t go the way we expect, when our morale dips, and when others reject us.
If we feel insecure, fear will eventually get the better of us and prevent us from reaching our full potential. We need to try and see the reality now, while keeping hold of our God-given vision of what can be. We shouldn’t settle for keeping things the way they are, because God constantly wants us to break new ground for Him.
Being dissatisfied with the way things are doesn’t mean having a bad attitude or complaining; it has to do with a willingness to be different and step out of what’s ‘normal’. A person who won’t risk change is someone who fails to grow. Many people are more comfortable dealing with old troubles than doing what it takes to find new solutions; risk seems dangerous to them.
We might draw our security from the fact that we’re used to the old ways of doing things; but real security comes from following and trusting God’s plans, because He knows what the end result will be. The best attitude for life is one that comes from being secure in who we are in God’s eyes and knowing what He’s called us to do.
Lev 8-10; Luke 22:14-23; Ps 50:1-15; Pro 9:10-11
2022-04-05
John 8:32 NKJV
Jesus said, ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ It takes courage to face a painful reality. It’s easier to bail out of a troubled situation than to stay and work your way through to a better place. It’s easier to give in to despair and self-pity than to treat a setback as a learning opportunity and start again. It takes guts to stand up for your convictions when you’re under fire. But somebody once said, ‘Unless you stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.’ The truth is, whenever you’re willing to stand for something or try something new, somebody will take a shot at you.
The English word courage is related to the French word cœur, meaning ‘heart’. Hence the phrase ‘don’t lose heart’. It’s easy to be brave when we’re feeling strong, but it’s much harder when we’re feeling weak and inadequate. But that’s exactly the time when we need courage the most. General Omar Bradley said, ‘Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.’ The courage he’s talking about isn’t a hollow, ‘fake it till you make it’ mindset.
Courage means saying, ‘If God promised it, I believe it’ and choosing to move forwards despite the obstacles. If you need an injection of courage today, read and think about these verses: 1) ‘Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded’ (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV). 2) ‘Energise the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. Tell fearful souls, “Courage! Take heart! GOD is here, right here, on his way to put things right and redress all wrongs. He’s on his way! He’ll save you!”‘ (Isaiah 35:3-4 MSG).
Lev 5-7; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 26; Pro 9:8-9
2022-04-04
Joshua 1:9 NKJV
God knew the battles Joshua would have to fight in order to conquer the promised land, so He told Joshua three times: ‘Be strong and of good courage.’ Whenever we move forwards, at some point we’ll come up against obstacles that block our path. It can be so disheartening to feel we’ve been making good progress, only to be stopped in our tracks. But rather than seeing obstacles as enemies (even if that’s how they feel), let’s try to think of them as resources that we can use to our advantage.
Every obstacle we face reveals our strengths and weaknesses. They also shape us and make us wiser and more confident when we overcome them. The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: ‘Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.’
Whenever we leave our comfort zones and step out in faith to follow God, we’ll be tested. But we’ll also discover opportunities to reach heights we thought were beyond us and go further than others who had more talent but settled for the easier option. In The Message paraphrase, Paul tells us: ‘Every detail works to your advantage… So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace’ (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 MSG).
Let’s not give up when we face obstacles and problems, and instead tackle them with courage and God’s help.
Lev 1-4; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 18:30-50; Pro 9:7
2022-04-03
Romans 6:14 MSG
One of the most important jobs in a garden is getting rid of weeds; if they’re left, they get out of control, choke the other plants, and quickly take over. Gardeners know to beware of weeds and remove them as soon as they appear. There’s a spiritual parallel here: unless we’re firm, decisive, and uncompromising with sin, it’ll take over our whole life.
The Message paraphrases Paul’s words like this: ‘Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life – no longer captive to sin’s demands! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God…. That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time – remember, you’ve been raised from the dead! – into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God’ (v.6-14 MSG).
So today, let’s say no to sin and weed it out of our lives.
Josh 2:1-24; Acts 9:20-30
2022-04-02
Galatians 5:22 TLV
Panic and anxiety are often our first reactions to conflict and problems. In those initial moments, choosing peace seems impossible. Our subconscious whispers, ‘If you really care, you will worry.’ But an experienced counsellor writes: ‘Don’t panic! No matter what the situation or circumstance, we usually have… a moment to breathe deeply and… let peace flow through our body and mind… Panic, not the task, is the enemy.’
Anxiety just empowers and enlarges the problem. Our best resource for problem-solving is always peace. Fear and anxiety block solutions; answers flow more easily and naturally from a peaceful state of mind. And God’s peace is always available to us. It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit. Paul wrote, ‘When the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce… in us… peace’ (among other things).
Jesus said, ‘Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]’ (John 14:27 AMP). That means we can choose peace over inner conflict. In the same verse, Jesus also said, ‘Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you’ (v.27 AMP).
But just because Jesus left us His peace doesn’t mean it’ll automatically function in us. We first need to accept that peace. When we lose our peace, it’s harder to hear from God. Paul said, ‘Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts’ (Colossians 3:15 AMP). So instead of getting anxious and panicky when we face challenges today, let’s try to choose the peace God promises.
Phil 3-4; Luke 21:12-24; Ps 18:1-29; Pro 9:4-6
