2024-11-27
Philippians 3:13 NKJV
Sam Parker writes: “When you decide to cross the line that separates failure from success, you’ll discover that not everyone will applaud your choice. Nor will everything go your way. There are those who have decided they would rather not cross the line and would prefer you didn’t either. And unfortunately, sometimes those people might be your friends. Maybe they will sprinkle a little doubt or withhold a little encouragement at just the right time (or even encourage you to do the wrong thing). Maybe they will be a little less subtle about it and just step directly in your way.
And then, every once in a while, there will be you – that inner voice that’s trying to tell you you’re not that special and that making something exceptional happen is for other people. Then there will be the work – hard work.
Good things are rarely easy, or cheap. Real effort and attention are the fundamentals behind everything. There are no quick fixes. There are no silver bullets. You have to earn your results and push yourself more often than not. You must also focus. That means eliminate distractions, and minimize your exposure to negative people, thoughts, and things that don’t serve the intent you have to succeed. Time moves quickly, and you can’t get it back. So, take good care of it. And learn to bounce back. Built into every mistake is increased knowledge and understanding.”
Paul put it this way: “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal” (vv. 13-14 NKJV).
Soul food: Gen 13-16; John 13:18-30; Ps 114; Prov 31:1-5
2023-11-16
1 Chronicles 11:10 NKJV
Success in any endeavor calls for surrounding yourself with the right people. That’s why you should always seek God’s input in your relationships. Rehoboam should have listened to the advice of his father Solomon’s wise and experienced inner circle. Instead he heeded the advice of those who agreed with his own opinion – and it proved fatal.
David, on the other hand, chose people who helped make him great. “These were… the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel” (v. 10 NKJV). Notice four important things here:
(1) David built a strong inner circle before he needed it. He started building his team long before he was crowned.
(2) He attracted people with varied gifts. He reached for them, rewarded them, and wasn’t intimidated by those who had skills that differed from his. With the help of these “mighty men,” David felt ready for anything.
(3) He cultivated loyalty. He drew people close to him, shared his life with them, and in the end, they were willing to lay their lives on the line for him.
(4) He delegated responsibility based on ability. Because he was secure in his own identity and calling, David wasn’t afraid to delegate authority and responsibility to those around him.
In the beginning some of his mighty men were misfits, but he transformed this ragtag group into a winning team (See 1 Samuel 22:1-2). David made his inner circle great, and in turn his inner circle made him great. So, the word for you today is – pick the right people!
Soul food: 1 Chron 12:23-15:29; John 9:24-41; Ps 8; Prov 26:17-22
2022-12-12
Philippians 2:4 NIV
Often in marriage we are unaware of our partner’s needs. We become calloused. We stop listening. We’re oblivious to the pressure they’re under. Simply stated, the root of many marital problems is insensitivity. Everyone you meet needs kindness. The people who sit around you in church have major hurts; you’re just unaware of them.
We find a great example of sensitivity in the life of King David. David’s friend, Jonathan – Saul’s son – had been killed. Now, safely enthroned for several years, David made a rare request. He asked if anyone was left in Saul’s family that he could help. He discovered Saul’s grandson – Jonathan’s son – Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet. When David sent for him, Mephibosheth almost certainly thought, “I’m going to be killed because I am a member of the enemy’s family, the old dynasty.” But notice David’s words: “Don’t be afraid… for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table” (2 Samuel 9:7 NIV).
Mephibosheth’s reaction is interesting: “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (v. 8 NIV). He felt like a dog and expected to be treated like one. But the point you need to notice is this: David took time, made the effort, and was sensitive to his needs. One of the dangers of success is that the pressures that accompany it can make you insensitive toward others.
Question: To whom do you need to become more sensitive today?
Soul food: Josh 16:1-19:23; John 15:18-27; Ps 148:7-14; Prov 29:16-21
2022-05-23
Romans 13:14 NIV
Since first impressions are important, we’re encouraged to “dress for success.” And that’s a good thing. But as a redeemed child of God, your first concern shouldn’t be how you look to others, but to God. Just like a mirror reflects your physical appearance so that you can make adjustments, the Bible reveals your spiritual condition and tells you what to do about it.
James writes: “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror… goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:23-25 NIV). You must spend time each day in the Scriptures; otherwise, you will run around spiritually threadbare. Paul writes, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14 NIV).
As Chuck Swindoll observes: “The number one enemy of change is the hard-core, self-satisfied sin nature within you. Like a spoiled child, it has been gratified and indulged for years, so it will not give up without a violent temper tantrum… The flesh dies a slow, bitter, bloody death – kicking and struggling all the way down.” Lasting change takes place in first gear, not overdrive. So expect occasional setbacks, and don’t let them derail you. When you feel like throwing in the towel, get down on your knees and ask God to help you get back on track. He will do it.
Soul food: Heb 1-4; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 88:9b-18; Pro 11:27-29
Romans 13:14 NIV
First impressions are important, so we’re often encouraged to ‘dress for success’. But as redeemed children of God, our first concern shouldn’t be how we look to others, but to God. Just like a mirror reflects our physical appearance so that we can make adjustments, the Bible reveals our spiritual condition and tells us what to do about it. James wrote: ‘Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do’ (James 1:23-25 NIV).
It’s important to spend time every day in the Scriptures; otherwise, we’ll run around spiritually threadbare. Paul wrote, ‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh’ (Romans 13:14 NIV).
Author Chuck Swindoll wrote: ‘The number one enemy of change is the hard-core, self-satisfied sin nature within you. Like a spoiled child, it has been gratified and indulged for years, so it will not give up without a violent temper tantrum… The flesh dies a slow, bitter, bloody death – kicking and struggling all the way down.’
Lasting change takes place in first gear, not overdrive. In the journey of lasting change, we should expect occasional setbacks and refuse to let them throw us off course. And if we feel like giving up, we should ask God to help us get back on track. He will do it, and give us all the help we need.
Heb 1-4; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 88:9b-18; Pro 11:27-29
