2022-02-15
Matthew 5:13-14 NKJV
Do the people you work with know that you are a follower of Christ? What do they think of your attitude toward those in authority? How about the people who work under you – are you critical or complimentary toward them? How is your timekeeping? Do you arrive to work on time and give 100 percent? Do you demonstrate a commitment to personal growth and excellence on the job? In other words, on the job, are you making Jesus look good?
When you begin to think seriously about it, the eternal destiny of some of the people you work with may be riding on your performance. Right now, they may not be too interested in what you have to say when it comes to the things of God. But all of that can change in an instant.
When people face a crisis in life like death, divorce, sickness, or unemployment, they want someone with real answers. That’s when they seek out the boys they threw into the fiery furnace and the lions’ den, because nobody else around them has answers that work.
Jesus said: “You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?…Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill…I’ve put you…on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God” (Matthew 5:13-16 MSG).
Soul food: Isa 34-37; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 145:14-21; Pro 4:23-24
2021-12-12
Philippians 1:9 NLT
When we find ourselves in a crisis, having the right attitude makes the difference between despair and determination. Here are some steps to take: 1) Look for ways to use the experience for something positive. Resilient people use their experience to help others. ‘[God] comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble, we can comfort them’ (2 Corinthians 1:4 NCV).
2) Check your priorities. ‘Teach us to use wisely all the time we have’ (Psalm 90:12 CEV). How would you like to spend your time differently now? Who would you most like to spend it with? How can you use your strengths in the service of what is important to you? What kind of person would you want to be?
3) Believe you can overcome. A crucial aspect of resilience is faith that God will bring us through the crisis. Even if we have the practical skills to deal with it, we still need to lean on God’s strength to keep us going.
4) Step out of your comfort zone. ‘Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.’ Learning something new, like a foreign language or a sport, or trying a new hobby, can help build our confidence. Embracing the unfamiliar strengthens our capacity to handle new situations. The more we ask of ourselves, the more resilient we’ll become.
5) Clear the weeds that are choking your optimism. When we start thinking pessimistic or cynical thoughts, we need to step back and reframe our perspective. And the best way to do that is to consult God. Talking to Him about the problem helps us gain insights into His perspective and discover the steps we need to take towards the solution.
Eccl 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2021-04-20
Colossians 4:6 NKJV
In Watchman Nee’s book The Normal Christian Worker, he devotes a whole chapter to our words, and how we communicate with others. He says ‘Because of unrestrained speech, the usefulness of many Christian workers is seriously curtailed. Instead of being powerful instruments in the Lord’s service, their ministry makes little impact on account of the constant leakage of power through their careless talk.’
This reminder that we can hurt the impact of our efforts for God by talking carelessly is a stark one, and it really is that serious. As Proverbs 18:21 tells us, ‘the tongue has the power of life and death’ (NIV). It can be so easy to be careless with our words, to speak without thinking. We can also betray ourselves with our tone, our gestures, and our facial expressions. We have to remember, though, that all of those things can dramatically change that way that people see us and, by extension, the way they see God.
It’s time for us to echo David’s prayer in Psalm 141:3-4 ‘Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift towards evil’ (NLT). Those verses are worth memorising and repeating when we feel our words veering towards negativity.
It’s also very worthwhile to check our attitude. Our words are fuelled by our thoughts, and our speech can’t run out of control unless our mind goes there first. That’s really where we need God to step in. We need His help to challenge our thoughts. Each time we find our mind or speech drifting towards negativity, we should stop ourselves and pray and pray to God for ‘the renewing of [our] mind’ that we read about in Romans 12:2 (NIV).
Dan 8-10; Mark 3:1-6; Ps 103:13-22; Prov 10:14
2021-02-09
Romans 8:15 NLT
If you’re adopted, that means your parents chose you. They could have picked a different gender, color, or ancestry. But they selected you. You say, “But if they could have foreseen the rest of my life, they might have changed their minds.” That’s the point exactly!
God saw our entire lives from beginning to end, and He was still convinced “to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:5 NLT). We can now live “like God’s very own children, adopted into…his family, and calling to him, ‘Father, Father’…And since we are his children, we will share his treasures – for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too” (Romans 8:15, 17 TLB).
God doesn’t accept you because of your pedigree. And He doesn’t reject you because of your divorce, deficiencies, debt, or dumb choices. You’re His redeemed child. You can call him “Abba,” which means “daddy” or “papa.” You “may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12 NIV). And that’s so, on your bad days as well as your good ones. And it gets better. Your adoption is horizontal as well as vertical. You’re now a member of His redeemed family. Dividing walls of hostility are broken down, and community is created on the basis of a common father. Instant family worldwide!
If God loves you, you must be worth loving. If He wants to have you in His kingdom, then you must be worth having. God’s grace invites you – no, requires you – to change your attitude about yourself and take sides with God against your feelings of rejection and unworthiness. You’re accepted, loved, and secure!
Soul food: Rom 7:1-9:16; Matt 13:24-35; Ps 134; Prov 4:5-13
2020-11-13
Nehemiah 4:14 NIV
Fight a gloomy outlook. Attitude is a little thing, but it makes a big difference. Depression, gloom, pessimism, despair, and discouragement stop more people than all the world’s combined illnesses. The truth is, enthusiasm will take you where talent alone can’t. Think about it: Every day talented people give in to discouragement and quit, while people with less talent and ability keep going and succeed. Winston Churchill once quipped, “I’m an optimist. It doesn’t seem too much use being anything else.” If you really, really, really believe that God is on your side, you’ll be optimistic even in the face of overwhelming obstacles and discouragement.
In the Old Testament, a group of former slaves rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just fifty-two days, and went on to prosper. How did they do it? Because their leader said, “Don’t surrender to discouragement. Don’t give it an inch. Fight every step of the way!” And that prescription still works today!
One of Satan’s favourite weapons is discouragement. He knows you can never be defeated unless you’re defeated in your thinking. But you have the power to overcome him. The Bible says, “Submit…to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). When Satan brings discouragement to your door, what should you do? Don’t open the door! Don’t invite him in! Don’t accept the package! Don’t sign the receipt! Instead, submit to God – and resist him! From time to time we all experience fatigue, frustration, failure, and fear. But by standing on God’s promises and drawing on His strength, you can choose not to get discouraged. The choice is yours!
Soul food: 1 Chr 16-18; John 10:22-42; Ps 83:9-18; Prov 26:13-16
