2019-07-23
John 15:12 NLT
Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (v. 11 NLT). What are these “things” that you must do to have His joy in life? Jesus tells us in the next verse: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” You say, “That’s a truly challenging commandment!” Yes, and you’ll have to do a lot of growing and maturing in order to keep it. But to enjoy the life Jesus wants you to have, you must commit yourself to doing it! God created all kinds of people with different temperaments and personalities, so clearly He loves variety. When God made the first person He said, “It was good.” So not only are there varieties of people, but there’s “good” in everybody and you’re supposed to look for it. Much of our unhappiness in life is caused by people not being what we want them to be or doing what we want them to do. What’s the answer? How can you enjoy each day if you’re going to have to deal with annoying people? By making up your mind to love them. You don’t have to like their ways, but you have to love them in spite of their ways. But when you think about it, that’s how God treats you, right? Here’s a key to loving annoying people: Annoying people are usually annoyed about something in their life. When you treat the source of their pain, they’ll begin to feel better and treat you better.
Soul food: Deut 1-2; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 16:17-19
2019-05-10
Galatians 6:1 NKJV
We are too quick to criticize people because of what they’ve been through in life. In some cases it’s because of what they have done to others, and in some cases because of what others have done to them. If you’ve been to a consignment store you know there are quality items at discounted prices; you just have to know what you’re looking for. Jesus does. In His eyes the down-and-out may be “down” but they’re not “out.” Peter’s sorrow over denying Jesus ran so deep that he decided to go back to his old job as a fisherman. Can you imagine the scuttlebutt around the harbor? “That’s him, the guy who turned his back on Jesus.” Peter eventually became the leader of the New Testament church. But be honest. Would you have voted him in as your pastor, or been willing to listen to anything he had to say? Yet the first person Jesus went looking for after He rose from the dead was Peter. Why? Because He looks beyond our immediate problem and sees our long-term potential. Jesus remembered the words He had spoken to Peter: “Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV). The foundational principle of practicing medicine is “First, do no harm.” When someone is damaged, don’t damage them further. Love them, pray for them, and seek to restore them.
Soul food: Titus 1-3; Mark 6:1-13; Ps 150; Prov 11:16-18
2019-03-28
Matthew 5:46-47 NCV
Jon Walker writes: “Send picture and I’ll reply…it’s a common message in personal ads and it makes sense in this day and age to exercise caution…But when it comes to loving others, do you find yourself saying: Send picture first? We all say it in different ways…’I have to see if you’re good enough…I’m not sure you’re worthy of my love…You need to act the way I expect before I’ll love you.'” It’s time we stopped “evaluating [people] by what the world thinks” (2 Corinthians 5:16 TLB). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Your Father in heaven…causes the sun to rise on good people and…evil people…he sends rain to those who do right and…those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don’t know God [do that]…you must be perfect [mature] just as your Father in heaven is” (Matthew 5:45-48 NCV). God’s love toward us is “perfect” because it is unconditional, nonjudgmental, and comes with no strings attached. The Bible says when we were His enemies, “[He] showed his great love…by sending Christ to die for us” (Romans 5:8 NLT). So, is there someone in your life who hurt you and now you’re having a hard time loving them? If so, pray: “Father, I’m struggling to love [fill in the name]. Help me to let go of judging and blaming, and begin to love them the way You love me.”
Soul food: 2 Thes 1-3; Luke 20:9-19; Ps 18:30-50; Prov 8:32-33
2019-01-13
James 1:2-4 TLV
You’re closer than you know to becoming the person God wants you to be. By His enabling grace, you’ll make it through this trial and come out stronger and wiser. Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NKJV). God is for you! That means you can do the thing you are afraid you can’t do. The prison bars you’re beating against are in your mind. And since you put them up, with God’s help you can take them down. God wants to set you free from the fearful attitudes that have held you back for so long; to release you to live up to your full potential. The right attitude can overcome almost any barrier. For example, the Bible says, “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8 NIV). Why? Because love isn’t dependent on your emotions or circumstances, it’s a servant of your will. Love is a decision! Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). And if Jesus commands it, He will enable you to do it! Beginning is usually the hard part. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; after that it gets easier. But look out; old attitudes will try to resurface and come back stronger than ever. Don’t let them. Radio commentator Paul Harvey says, “You can always tell when you’re on the road to success; it’s uphill all the way.” So be patient; it will take time to get there. But anything worthwhile is worth working for!
Soul food: 1 Sam 3:1-11; Acts 9:1-9
2019-01-03
Genesis 37:5 NKJV
The story of Joseph teaches that success can cause others to mistreat you. Not everyone will celebrate your success, including some of those closest to you. When Jesus’ fame began to spread, the first people to reject Him were from the town He grew up in. It caused Him to say, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country” (Matthew 13:57 NKJV). The Bible says of Joseph, “His brothers envied him” (Genesis 37:11 NKJV). There it is – envy! When God blesses you, those who feel left out may target you. Some may feel more worthy and deserving, and that your blessing came at their expense. That’s how Cain felt when he murdered his brother Abel. That’s how King Saul felt when David killed Goliath and the people sang, “Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 29:5 GNT). Shortly afterwards Saul started throwing spears at David. And the spear never left his hand until it plunged into his own heart. That’s because envy is like a boomerang; it comes back to hurt the one who throws it. When their father threw a party to celebrate the homecoming of his prodigal son, the older brother said, “These many years I have served you…yet you never gave me a…feast” (See Luke 15:29 AMPC). He made three mistakes we often make: (a) He compared himself to his brother. (b) He exposed his brother’s sins and shortcomings. (c) He failed to appreciate the extent of his father’s love for him and the blessings he had bestowed on him. So learn from his mistakes.
Soul food: Isa 4-7; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Prov 1:5-9
