2019-05-08
Galatians 3:28 NLT
If you limit yourself only to people who think exactly like you, you’ll never grow personally or accomplish what God has in mind for you. You need people who have 20/20 vision where you have blind spots. The way to offset your weak areas is by being able to work with people who are strong in those areas. Instead of looking for those who conform to your opinions, you need someone who loves you enough to challenge your opinions from time to time. Why? Because you still have a lot of learning and growing to do! Think of the people Jesus picked. Luke was a doctor, and Peter and John were fishermen. If you prided yourself on your image, which would you have picked? But Jesus needed them all to accomplish His mission. He knew we need people who complement us, not duplicate us. It is estimated that even if you had the genius of Einstein, you’d still know less than one percent of all there is to know. And if you were mega-talented, you’d only be able to achieve less than one percent of what can be achieved. Yes, we need harmony. But there’s a difference between harmony which is derived from two or more distinctly different notes that blend together, and unison, the same note made at the same time. Harmony is far more appealing to the ear than unison. So your relationships should be harmonious without being in unison. Think about it: You are uniquely different from anyone else. So if you want others to love and accept you, start loving and accepting them. The greatest wisdom is found in diversity, not conformity.
Soul food: Num 34-36; Mark 5:21-30; Ps 57; Prov 11:14
2019-04-07
Hebrews 6:1 CEV
Paul writes: “May God himself…who makes everything holy and whole…put you together – spirit, soul, and body, and keep you fit for the coming of…Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 TM). Are you growing into spiritual maturity? Before you answer, read these words: “Maturity is the ability to control your anger and settle your differences without violence or resentment. Maturity is patience; it’s the willingness to pass up short-term pleasure for long-term gain. It’s the ability to ‘sweat it out’ in spite of heavy opposition or discouraging setbacks. It’s the capacity to face unpleasantness and frustration without complaining or collapsing. Maturity is humility. It’s being big enough to say, ‘I was wrong,’ and when you are right, never needing to say, ‘I told you so.’ Maturity is the ability to make a decision and follow through with it instead of exploring endless possibilities and doing nothing about any of them. Maturity means dependability, keeping your word, and coming through in a crisis. The immature are masters of alibi; they’re the confused and the disorganized. Their lives are a maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business, and good intentions. Maturity is the art of being at peace with what you can’t change, having the courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The Bible says, “We must try to become mature and start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught.” So the word for you today is: It’s time to become mature.
Soul food: 2 Kings 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Acts 5:1-11
2019-03-31
Proverbs 23:24-25 NLT
Your goal as a parent should not be to raise perfect children, but to impart to them the wisdom needed for successful living. This raises two challenges: parental neglect and parental obsession. The second one is prevalent among parents who become obsessed with their children, leaving them no time for recreation, romance, or rest. These folks probably wouldn’t even consider Mother Teresa to be qualified as their babysitter! The motives of obsessive parents may be good, but their preoccupation can lead to three serious problems: (1) Making children the centerpiece of life, which is not in their best interests. If you make children the center of the universe, they are in for a rude awakening when they get out into the real world. (2) Emotional and physical fatigue produces what is known as “parental burnout.” Just as a battery cannot continually be drained, you need time to recharge physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When you don’t get it, you run on your nerves and everybody around you feels the negative effects. (3) “Super parenting” can be destructive to a marriage, especially when the mother is the one so inclined. A father may come to resent the children for taking his wife away from him, or she may think her husband is selfish because he doesn’t match her commitment to the kids. Either way, a wedge is driven between them that could eventually destroy the family. The Bible says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men” (Philippians 4:5). Moderation, or balance, is the key to a healthy and happy family life.
Soul food: 1 Cor 9:24-27; Num 6:1-8; Prov 25:28
2019-03-23
Psalm 73:26 NIV
As you drive toward your destiny, you’re sure to hit potholes along the way, or take some wrong turns, or forget to check your gas gauge and run out of fuel. The truth is, the only way to avoid failure is not to leave your driveway! In the words of author William Saroyan: “Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure.” The real issue in life isn’t whether or not you’re going to fail, but whether you’re going to learn from your experience and turn it into the wisdom needed to succeed. In a survey of successful people, not one of them viewed their mistakes as failures. They considered them “learning experiences,” or “tuition paid,” or “opportunities for growth.” That’s the winning attitude! Henry Ward Beecher said: “It’s defeat that turns bone to flint…gristle into muscle…and makes men invincible. Do not then be afraid of defeat. You are never so near victory as when you’re defeated in a good cause.” So the next time you fail at something, stop and ask yourself, “What have I learned? Am I grateful for this experience? How can I turn it into success? Where do I go from here? Who else has failed like this, and how can they help me? How can my experience help others? Did I actually fail, or just fall short of an unrealistically high goal? Where did I succeed as well as fail?” Then go one step further, and ask God for greater insight. If you do, you’ll grow stronger and wiser because of what you’ve been through (See James 1:5).
Soul food: Job 38-39; Luke 19:28-36; Ps 38:13-22; Prov 8:24-26
2019-01-27
James 1:8 NKJV
If you’re afraid to make a decision in case it’s wrong, read this Scripture: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally…and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (vv. 5-8 NKJV). President Reagan enjoyed telling the story of how he learned to make firm decisions. When he was a boy, his aunt sent him to a cobbler to have a new pair of shoes made for him. When the shoemaker asked, “Do you want a square toe or a round one?” he hemmed and hawed, so the cobbler said, “Come back in a day or two and tell me what you want.” Later the cobbler saw Reagan on the street and asked what he had decided about the shoes. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” he answered. “Very well,” the cobbler said, “your shoes will be ready tomorrow.” When Reagan got the shoes, one had a round toe and the other a square toe! Reagan said, “Looking at those shoes every day taught me a lesson. If you don’t make your own decisions, somebody else will make them for you.” Worst case: If you get it wrong, you’ll learn what not to do next time. Bottom line: To succeed in life you must pray for wisdom, and then make a decision.
Soul food: Eze 47:1-12; Rev 21:22-22:5
