Taking responsibility and risks (3)

2019-11-30
1 Peter 4:10 NIV

Guess which big company felt like “choking on its own candies” after it elected not to feature one of its products in the 1982 blockbuster film E.T.? If you said M&M’s, you’d be right! How did it happen? Turns out the Mars candy bar company executives decided nothing could be gained from allowing their M&M’s candies to be used in what some of them considered “a silly movie.” Consequently, the little boy Elliott wound up luring the loveable alien E.T. with Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces. That one scene drew millions of customers world-wide into candy stores in quest of Reese’s Pieces! Thanks to this movie mega-hit, Hershey’s sales shot up 65 percent! It’s interesting that the Mars executives who said “No” probably lived in big houses, drove big cars, and earned big salaries! Yep, doubt and fear stalk the rich as well as the poor; you’ll find nay-sayers at the top and bottom of the corporate ladder. Do you recall these words from the famous poem by John Greenleaf Whittier: “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been'”? Think of all the times opportunity knocked and nobody answered. Are you standing before a door of opportunity today? Are you afraid to walk through it? Don’t be. God is with you. His Word says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” When God gives you a gift He gives you the grace and grit to use it. So step out in faith, “commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).

Soul food: Josh 14-15; John 15:18-27; Ps 65; Prov 28:17-20

Neem verantwoordelikheid en risiko’s (3)


1 Petrus 4:10 NLV

Die Mars lekkergoed maatskappy het amper aan sy eie lekkernye verstik nadat hulle gekies het om nie M&M’s, een van hulle produkte, in die trefferrolprent E.T. in 1982 ten toon te stel nie. Die besigheidshoofde van die Mars maatskappy het besluit dat dit hulle niks in die sak sou bring om toe te laat dat hulle M&M lekkergoed in ‘n ‘lawwe rolprent’ gebruik word nie. Gevolglik het die klein seuntjie, Elliot, Hershey’s se Reese’s Pieces gebruik om die liefdevolle ruimtemannetjie uit sy skuilplek te lok. Daardie een toneel het miljoene kliënte wêreldwyd genoop om Reese’s Pieces te gaan koop. Te danke aan hierdie trefferrolprent, het Hershey’s se verkope met 65 persent opgeskiet! Dis interessant dat die Mars grootkoppe wat ‘Nee’ gesê het heel waarskynlik in groot huise gewoon het, groot karre gery het en groot salarisse verdien het. Ja, twyfel en vrees volg die rykes sowel as die armes; jy sal ‘nee-mense’ aan die bokant en die onderkant van die korporatiewe leer vind. Onthou jy die woorde van die beroemde gedig deur John Greenleaf Whittier: “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been'”? Staan jy vandag voor ‘n deur van geleentheid? Is jy bang om daardeur te loop? Moenie wees nie. God is by jou. Sy Woord sê: ‘…God het aan elkeen van julle ‘n genadegawe gegee. Met hierdie gawes moet julle mekaar dien sodat God se ryk en onverdiende goedheid deur julle na mekaar toe kan vloei.’ Wanneer God jou ‘n gawe gee, gee Hy ook vir jou die genade en die durf om dit te gebruik. Tree dus in geloof uit en onthou: ‘Alles wat jy doen, moet jy opdra aan die Here, dan sal jou planne slaag’ (Spreuke 16:3 NLV).

Sielskos: Jos 14-15; Joh 15:18-27; Ps 65; Spr 28:17-20

Taking responsibility and risks (2)

2019-11-29
Matthew 25:23 NIV

In 1975 a low-level Hewlett Packard engineer called Steve Wozniak, whom nobody had ever heard of, shared a dream with his pal, Steve Jobs. It was about building and selling an easy-to-use personal computer to the masses around the world. The pair worked round the clock to create their compact PC. But when they offered it to Hewlett Packard, one of the world’s great companies, the powers-that-be failed to see its incredible potential and gave it the thumbs down. So Wozniak and Jobs went off on their own and founded a little company called Apple Computers – and revolutionized the computer industry! There’s no shortage of people who will tell you, “It can’t be done” or “It won’t work.” There’s a name for those people: “dream killers” – and if you listen to them you’ll give up before you even begin. Behind every major accomplishment you’ll find ordinary people with dreams, who are willing to take responsibility and risks. They are the people who enjoy the rewards! Jesus wrapped up one of His parables with these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” In spite of your failures, your struggles, and your limitations, if you’re willing to disregard the naysayers, step out in faith, and use the gifts God has given you, He will see to it that you succeed.

Soul food: Josh 11-13; John 15:5-17; Ps 14; Prov 28:13-16

Neem verantwoordelikheid en risiko’s (2)


Matteus 25:23 NLV

In 1975 het ‘n lae-vlak Hewlett Packard ingenieur genaamd Steve Wozniak, van wie niemand al gehoor het nie, ‘n droom met sy vriend, Steve Jobs, gedeel. Dit het gegaan oor om ‘n verbruikersvriendelike persoonlike rekenaar te bou en dit aan die massas regoor die wêreld te verkoop. Die twee vriende het maande aaneen gewerk om hulle eie kompakte persoonlike rekenaar te skep. Toe hulle dit egter aan Hewlett Packard, een van die wêreld se grootste maatskappye, aangebied het, het die grootkoppe in die maatskappy nie die ontsaglike potensiaal daarvan raakgesien nie en het hulle dit afgekeur. Wozniak en Jobs het toe op hulle eie aangegaan en ‘n klein maatskappy genaamd Apple Computers gestig – en die rekenaarindustrie op sy kop gekeer! Daar is nie ‘n tekort aan mense wat vir jou sal sê: ‘Dit kan nie gedoen word,’ of ‘Dit kan nie werk,’ nie. Sulke mense word ‘droommoordenaars’ genoem – en as jy na hulle luister sal jy tou opgooi nog voor jy begin het. Agter elke groot prestasie sal jy gewone mense met drome, wat gewillig is om die verantwoordelikheid en risiko’s te neem, vind. Hulle is die mense wat die belonings sal geniet! Jesus het een van sy gelykenisse met die volgende woorde geëindig: ‘…Uitstekend! Jy is ‘n voortreflike slaaf; een op wie ek kan staatmaak. In die kleine het jy jou betroubaar bewys. Daarom gaan ek nog baie groter verantwoordelikhede aan jou toevertrou. Kom vier saam met my fees.’ As jy gewillig is om ten spyte van jou mislukkings, jou stryd en jou beperkinge, die negatiewe kritiek te ignoreer, in geloof uit te tree en die gawes wat God jou gegee het te gebruik, sal Hy seker maak dat jy sukses behaal.

Sielskos: Jos 11-13; Joh 15:5-17; Ps 14; Spr 28:13-16

Taking responsibility and risks (1)

2019-11-28
Habakkuk 2:3 NKJV

One missionary evangelist writes: “There are times and seasons in God’s will. And we can easily become frustrated if we don’t understand that just as there are times and seasons in nature, there are also times and seasons in the process of fulfilling God’s will for our lives. Years ago a group of senior missionaries came together to discuss life principles they’d discovered…their purpose was to share this wealth of experience with succeeding generations…They’d all encountered common stages of transition in their ministries, and collectively they identified a five-step cyclical process God had taken them through.” Bottom line: Timing is all-important! When executives at Decca Records told the Beatles, “Groups with guitars are on the way out,” they signed up with EMI – and the rest is history! Don’t miss the lesson here. Each of us has been placed on earth as a caretaker of God’s business. And that’s true whether you are a judge or a janitor. You’ve been given an allotment of life and charged with the responsibility of taking care of it, investing it, increasing it, and presenting it back to God. Simply saying, “I was afraid of failing,” or “I was worried about being criticized,” or “I didn’t think I was good enough,” won’t work. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Excuses always replace progress.” God will accept your trials and errors, but He won’t accept your excuses for not having tried. So pray, accept responsibility, and step out in faith. You may fail many times on your way to success, but if you keep trying and trusting God, you’ll eventually succeed.

Soul food: Josh 8:30-10:43; John 14:26-15:4; Ps 146; Prov 28:9-12