2019-11-15
2 Corinthians 12:15 NLT
The apostle Paul wrote, “I don’t want what you have – I want you…I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me” (vv. 14-15 NLT). Paul found his greatest fulfillment in giving, not receiving. For him, giving was its own reward. For him, being successful meant making others successful. For him, being joyful meant bringing joy to others. That’s because he didn’t look to people for his reward, but to God: “Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do” (Ephesians 6:8 NLT). The hardest thing for most of us to do is to fight our natural tendency to put ourselves first. That’s why it’s important to continually examine your motives and make sure you’re not sliding backwards into selfishness. If you want to check your motives, follow the example set by Benjamin Franklin. Every day he asked himself two questions. When he got up in the morning he would ask, “What good am I going to do today?” And before he went to bed he would ask, “What good have I done today?” If you can answer those questions with selflessness and integrity, you can keep yourself on track. Seeing those in need, and giving to meet that need, keeps your priorities and your perspective right. It increases the quality of life for both the giver and the receiver. The truth is, there is no life as empty as the self-centered life, and there is no life as centered as the self-empty life.
Soul food: 2 Chr 12-15; John 11:28-37; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
2 Korintiërs 12:15 NLV
Die apostel Paulus het geskryf: ‘…ek is nie agter julle goed aan nie, maar julle self… Ek sou baie graag alles wou spandeer vir julle lewe, ja, ook myself. As ek julle uitermate liefhet, hoe werk dit dan dat julle my dan minder liefhet?’ (verse 14-15 NLV). Paulus het sy grootste vervulling gekry deur te gee, nie te ontvang nie. Vir hom was om te gee sy eie beloning. Vir hom was om suksesvol te wees om ander mense suksesvol te maak. Vir hom was om vreugdevol te wees om vreugde aan ander mense te bring. Dis omdat hy nie na mense vir sy beloning gekyk het nie, maar na God: ‘Julle weet mos dat die Here elke mens wat sy werk goed doen, sal beloon…’ (Efesiërs 6:8 NLV). Die moeilikste ding vir die meeste van ons is om ons natuurlike neiging om onsself eerste te plaas, te beveg. Dis hoekom dit belangrik is om deurentyd ons beweegredes te ondersoek en seker te maak dat ons nie terug in selfsug vasval nie. As jy jou beweegredes wil ondersoek, volg die voorbeeld wat Benjamin Franklin gestel het. Elke dag het hy vir homself twee vrae gevra. Wanneer hy in die oggend opgestaan het, sou hy vra: ‘Wat se goeie dinge gaan ek vandag doen?’ Voor hy dan in die aand in die bed klim, sou hy vra: ‘Wat se goeie dinge het ek vandag gedoen?’ As jy hierdie twee vrae met onselfsugtigheid en integriteit kan beantwoord, kan jy jouself op die regte pad hou. Dit verhoog die lewenskwaliteit van beide die gewer en die ontvanger. Die waarheid is dat daar geen lewe so leeg soos ‘n selfgesentreerde lewe is nie en dat daar is geen lewe so gesentreerd is soos ‘n lewe wat leeg van jouself is nie.
Sielskos: 2 Kro 12-15; Joh 11:28-37; Ps 50; Spr 26:27-28
2019-11-14
Numbers 6:27 NLT
God’s Word is impregnated with life, wisdom, truth, power, and potential. When He created the world, He simply said, “Let there be.” Every word He speaks – contains the power to create whatever He says. Every promise He makes – contains the seeds of its own fulfillment. Those seeds have a scheduled season for fulfillment in your life, and when they’re watered with confident, faith-filled prayer, standing squarely on the Scriptures and patiently awaiting God’s timing – His Word cannot fail. Once you grasp this truth, the words “God bless you” become loaded! Speaking them releases God’s blessing into our lives. When you say, “God bless you,” God backs you up. “Whenever [you] bless…people…in my name, I myself will bless them.” So if you want to bless your loved ones, speak these words of blessing to them: “The Lord bless you and protect you…and be gracious to you…show you his favour and give you his peace” (vv. 24-26 NLT). Asking someone, “How are you?” is an expression of courtesy and care. And when you say, “Have a nice day,” you sincerely mean it. But when you say, “God bless you,” and understand the scriptural truth behind those words, God’s blessing can change that person’s life! Author Kate Nowak says: “It should be a habit, this business of blessing others…I’ve come to realize it’s one of the most powerful and practical ways for reconnecting with each other, our world and life itself…the most phenomenal way possible to lead us to happiness and success. A blessing is a sweet release from pain…an ancient key to a successful and fulfilling life.”
Soul food: 2 Chr 8-11; John 11:17-27; Ps 8; Prov 26:23-26
Numeri 6:27 DB
God se Woord is deurtrek met lewe, wysheid, krag en potensiaal. Toe Hy die wêreld geskep het, het Hy eenvoudig gesê: ‘Laat daar wees.’ Elke woord wat Hy spreek bevat die mag om te skep. Elke belofte wat Hy maak bevat die saad vir daardie belofte se eie vervulling. Hierdie saad het ‘n geskeduleerde seisoen vir vervulling in jou lewe en wanneer hulle met geloofsgevulde gebed water gegee word, terwyl jy vas op die Skrif staan en geduldig op God se tydsberekening wag, kan sy Woord nie misluk nie. Sodra jy hierdie waarheid besef, word die woorde ‘God seën jou,’ gewigtige woorde! Deur hulle te spreek, stel jy God se seën in jou lewe vry. ‘…As [jy] dit so doen, sal Ek sorg dat dit met hulle goed gaan.’ As jy dus jou geliefdes wil seën, moet jy hierdie woorde van seën oor hulle uitspreek: ‘Die Here sal vir jou goed wees en vir jou sorg. Die Here sal jou raaksien en vir jou sy liefde gee. Die Here sal jou goedgesind wees en vir jou voorspoed gee’ (verse 24-26 NLV). Deur iemand te vra: ‘Hoe gaan dit met jou’ is ‘n uitdrukking van hoflikeid en sorgsaamheid. Wanneer jy sê: ‘Ek hoop jy het ‘n lekker dag,’ bedoel jy dit opreg. Wanneer jy egter sê: ‘God seën jou,’ en die Skriftuurlike waarheid agter daardie woorde verstaan, kan God se seën daardie persoon se lewe verander! Die skrywer Kate Nowak sê: ‘Dit moet ‘n gewoonte word, hierdie besigheid om mekaar te seën. Ek het begin besef dat dit een van die kragtigste en praktieste maniere is om weer met mekaar, ons wêreld en die lewe self te konnekteer. Dis die wonderbaarlikse manier moontlik om ons na geluk en sukses toe te lei. ‘n Seëning is ‘n soete vrymaking van pyn… ‘n antieke sleutel tot ‘n suksesvolle en vervullende lewe.’
Sielskos: 2 Kro 8-11; Joh 11:17-27; Ps 8; Spr 26:23-26
2019-11-13
1 Chronicles 4:9 NKJV
The name Jabez means “pain and trouble.” Can you imagine walking into a room and hearing someone say, “Here comes trouble,” or someone describing you as “a pain”? And what’s more, Jabez’ mother labelled him that way the day he was born because “she gave birth to him in pain.” But Jabez refused to wear the label or let that name define him. Instead of looking back at his past and listening to his critics, he turned to God and prayed: “‘Oh, that You would bless me…and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested” (v. 10 NKJV). The label on the outside of a bottle tells you what’s on the inside. And when you let others label you, invariably they make your world too small. And once you accept the label they place on you, you start to believe that’s who you are and that you’ll never amount to anything more than that. No, only God can tell you who you are! So do what Jabez did – go directly to the source: God. He created you. He redeemed you. He calls you. He equips you. He empowers you. He rewards you. So when people try to limit you by putting labels on you, God steps in and says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1 NKJV). The truth is that God loves and accepts you, and His approval trumps everybody else’s disapproval!
Soul food: 2 Chr 5-7; John 11:1-16; Ps 83:9-18; Prov 26:17-22
