2023-01-12
Numbers 12:11 NKJV
If you think criticizing others is just exercising your right to free speech and it’s no big deal, stop and consider these three things: (1) God saw it as a sin when Aaron and Miriam criticized Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. He smote Miriam with leprosy, and Aaron was quick to repent: “We have done foolishly… we have sinned.” Yes, God healed Miriam, but not before she had been publicly embarrassed.
(2) A critical attitude will hurt you relationally. “Then the Lord said to Moses… ‘Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again'” (v.14 NKJV). Leprosy was contagious, and those who had it were isolated from others. There is an important lesson here. When you become known for a critical attitude, people will distance themselves from you and avoid you. It’s a trust issue; they know if you will talk to them about others, you will talk to others about them.
(3) A critical attitude hinders everybody’s progress. “So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again” (v.15 NKJV). Have you ever been part of an organization where one fault-finding person destroyed the effectiveness and hindered the progress of the entire group?
(4) A critical attitude hurts your relationship with God. “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbours or speak evil of their friends… Such people will stand firm forever” (Psalm 15:1-3, 5 NLT).
Soul food: Isa 34-37; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 71:17-24; Prov 2:3-5
2022-12-14
Daniel 1:4 NLT
When Daniel arrived in Babylon, he was a slave. But he rose to the top because of these qualifications: “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve.” To be promoted in any job, you must first prove yourself. The Bible says, “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings” (Proverbs 22:29 NIV). Unless you believe in what you’re doing, you won’t give yourself fully to it; therefore, you have no right to expect to succeed.
Have you ever walked into a room and felt love, energy, and excitement? Your thoughts have a presence; they’re like currents moving through the air, capable of drawing people to you or driving them away. Your attitude is always sensed. That’s why in order to succeed, you must believe in what you do. If you don’t – pray and ask God to relocate you someplace where you can put your whole heart into it.
Jesus totally believed in His product. He told the woman at the well, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:13-14 KJV). You must take the time and make the effort to know your business. You may be anxious to sell, pocket the profit, and get on with your life. But success doesn’t happen that way. Jesus spent time praying in order to renew His understanding of His purpose.
So the word for you today is – pray and believe in what you do!
Soul food: Josh 22-24; John 16:12-18; Ps 105:1-7; Prov 30:1-4
2022-12-11
Colossians 3:12 NIV
When you get up in the morning, you must not only clothe yourself physically but spiritually and emotionally too. You must ask yourself, “What sort of attitude am I going to wear today? Will I be controlling or cooperative? Positive or negative? Complimentary or critical? Selfish or serving?” You say, “But when I’m kind, people take advantage of me.” Yes, sometimes that will happen. But that’s the difference between taking the low road or the high road. Which do you want to walk on?
Despite the risks, here are two reasons to be kind:
(1) “Because of [God’s] kindness you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8 TLB). Grace and kindness go together. Always! Poet Robert Burns said that the kind heart most resembles God.
(2) Because you want people to be kind to you and treat you right. Jesus said, “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12 NIV). If you are rude, people are going to be rude to you. But if you are kind, most people will desire to respond the same way. “Be kind and honest and you will live a long life; others will respect you and treat you fairly” (Proverbs 21:21 GNT).
And here is another reason to be kind: “Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel” (Proverbs 11:17 TLB). So when you are kind to others, you are really doing yourself a favour. Let’s read it again: “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12 NIV).
Now go out and try living that way for one whole day.
Soul food: Lev 27:30-33; Num 31:48-54; 1 Cor 16:1-3
2022-04-23
Ephesians 5:31 NLT
When our children are young, we’re so busy providing them with things like love, protection, discipline, training, and authority that it feels like these responsibilities will go on forever. But they don’t. When our children reach their late teens and early twenties, we must open the door for them to the world outside.
If you’re going through this right now and feeling anxious, try to realize that you’re in one of the most challenging and difficult parts of parenting. Your tendency to hold tightly to the reins of control in order to keep your children from making mistakes is natural. But your children are more likely to make good choices if they aren’t compelled to rebel in order to achieve their freedom. The simple truth is that responsibility and maturity flourish best in an atmosphere of freedom. “As the Scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother.'”
The secret of success is in granting your child autonomy at the right time, in the right amount, and with the right attitude. Your goal should be to allow independence little by little through the years, as your children are able to manage new responsibility. The final release, then, should represent a small step in the direction of freedom instead of a tumble into anarchy.
In the final analysis, we all learn by trial and error. You did, and try as you may to avoid it, your children will, too. “So what should I do?” you ask. Pray for them daily, release them into God’s care, and let them know that you will always love them and be there for them.
Soul food: 1 Cor 15-16; Matt 1:1-17; Ps 103:13-22; Pro 10:14
2022-04-18
Colossians 3:13 CEV
Building a successful relationship calls for focusing on the other person’s strengths instead of their weaknesses. Concerning marriage, Benjamin Franklin said, “Keep your eyes wide open beforehand and half shut afterwards.” It’s a mistake to rush into a lifetime relationship without taking time to get to know the other person. Without due diligence on the front end, you are sure to have problems on the back end. But an important relationship principle lies in learning to forgive and forget.
American politician Edward Wallace Hoch is attributed with saying, “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly behooves any of us, to talk about the rest of us.” Forgetting can be harder when the offense is great. Small offenses can usually be forgiven quickly; big ones involve a healing process. But until you decide to forgive and forget, the process can’t even start.
Paul writes: “Be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other… forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything… It is what ties everything… together” (vv. 12-14 CEV). One author puts it this way: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” In other words, when it comes to facing facts you can’t change, pray for grace and learn to live with them.
Why do we need to forgive and forget? Because God says so! You are not designed to carry the physical and mental stress that comes with harboring resentment. Added to which, “You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out” (Galatians 6:1 MSG).
Soul food: 1 Cor 1-3; Luke 24:13-24; Ps 56; Pro 10:8-9
