2020-07-20
Ephesians 4:2 NIV
Gentleness is one of the fruits of the Spirit (have a read of Galatians 5:22-23). It might not always come naturally to us, but the Spirit can help us to show it to all those we meet. In today’s culture, gentleness can be misinterpreted as weakness. If we respond to people in a gentle way, we can be accused of letting people walk all over us. This can especially be the case if we’re in a leadership position. The more authority we have, the more we’re expected to be assertive and in control. Unfortunately, a lot of leaders can move away from gentleness, and even from assertiveness, and they become controlling and aggressive in their communication. But the greater our authority, the more gracious our attitude towards others should be. If we’re leading others in any capacity, we need to be showing gentleness and kindness to them. We need to be leading from a place of love. Jesus is the best example of a leader we can ever have. In the Bible, He’s referred to as a lion and a lamb. He’s the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the Lamb of God (take a look at Revelation 5:5-6). When it comes to standing for the truth, we should roar like a lion and stand up for what’s right. But when it comes to dealing with people, we should be as gentle as a lamb. Paul wrote: ‘Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.’ We’re not called to be harsh, rude, or controlling towards other people, no matter what position we’re in. Instead we need to show God’s love, kindness, and gentleness to all we meet.
Acts 8-9; Luke 8:26-39; Ps 146; Prov 16:4-5
2020-07-19
Matteus 5:10 NLV
Jesus het gesê: ‘Gelukkig is julle wanneer julle bespot en vervolg word en allerhande leuens oor julle verspei word omdat julle my dissipels is. Wees bly, ja, jubel daaroor, want God sal julle ryklik daarvoor beloon…’ (verse 11-12 NLV). As jou vel dun is, sal jy altyd ‘n maklike teiken wees. Volharding, nie populariteit nie, is die geheim tot langtermyn sukses. Paulus het volhard toe sy vriende hom verlaat het, toe hy lelike briewe van die mense uit Korinte ontvang het, toe die Galasiërs hom teleurgestel het, toe die mense in Filippi hom mishandel het en toe hy in Athene bespot is. Hy skryf: ‘Wees op en wakker! Staan vas in wat julle glo! Wees moedig! Wees sterk!’ (1 Korintiërs 16:13 NLV). Kom ons kyk na hierdie vers: 1) Wees op en wakker. Die duiwel is daarop uit om jou waarde vir God se koninkryk te vernietig. Jou lewe is ‘n saad wat ‘n oes vir God op aarde kan meebring, beskerm dus jouself. 2) Staan vas in wat jy glo. Jy kan nie op jou omstandighede of ander mense se opinies staan nie, want dit verander aanhoudend. Jy kan net op God se Woord vas staan. 3) Wees moedig. Onvolwassenheid sal jou seermaak wanneer jy aangeval word. Die Bybel sê: ‘…Kom ons gaan eerder verder en word geestelik volwasse…’ (Hebreërs 6:1 NLV). As jy steeds dieselfde foute twintig jaar later maak, leer jy nie genoeg nie. 4) Wees sterk. Swakheid is ‘n uitnodiging aan die Vyand. God het vir sy mense belowe dat die Beloofde Land hulle s’n was, maar hulle moes daarvoor veg. Net diegene wat gewillig was om daarvoor te veg, het dit binnegegaan. Dieselfde geld vir jou.
Sielskos: Heb 11:8-12; Gen 17:1-27; Gen 22:1-18; Jak 2:21-24
Matthew 5:10 NLT
Jesus said: “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it!…For a great reward awaits you in heaven” (v. 11 NLT). If you’re thin-skinned you’ll always be an easy target. Endurance, not popularity, is the secret to long-term success. Paul endured desertion by his friends, ugly letters from the Corinthians, disappointment with the Galatians, mistreatment in Philippi, mocking in Athens, and beheading in Rome. He writes, “Be on the alert…stand firm in the faith…act like men…be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13 NAS). Let’s break this verse down: (1) Be on the alert. The Devil is out to get you. What’s he after? Your value to God’s kingdom. Your life is a seed capable of producing a harvest for God in the earth, so protect yourself. (2) Stand firm in the faith. You can’t stand on your circumstances or other people’s opinions, because those things constantly change. You can stand only on the Word of God. (3) Act like men. Immaturity will hurt you when the attack comes. The Bible says you must “[leave] the elementary…[and] press on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1 NAS). If you’re still making the same mistakes twenty-five years later, you’re not learning enough. (4) Be strong. Weakness is an invitation to the Enemy. It always precedes surrender, and quitting isn’t an option. God told His people that the Promised Land was theirs, but they had to fight for it. And only those who were willing to fight got to enter it. The same goes for you.
Soul food: Heb 11:8-12; Gen 17:1-27; Gen 22:1-18; Jas 2:21-24
Matthew 5:10 NLT
Jesus said: ‘God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it!…For a great reward awaits you in heaven’ (vv.11-12 NLT). Endurance is really important if we’re going to live for God. So how can we endure when life gets tough? Paul writes, ‘Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong’ (1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV). Let’s break this verse down: 1) Be on your guard. The devil knows we have the potential to make a difference in God’s kingdom and he wants to stop us. In John 10, we’re told: ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy’ (v.10 NIV). So we need to protect ourselves and make sure we’re ready for his attack. 2) Stand firm in the faith. We can’t stand on our circumstances or other people’s opinions, because those things constantly change. We need to stand on the unchangeable Word of God. 3) Be courageous. When we’re facing a battle, we have a choice. We can give in to fear or be courageous. God said: ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged’ (Joshua 1:9 NIV). 4) Be strong. The enemy will always attack us in our weak areas. And his attack will usually come just when we’re about to do something amazing for God. Living for God isn’t easy; we have to rely on His strength and fight battles. God told His people that the Promised Land was theirs, but they had to fight for it. Only those who were willing to fight got to enter it. Are we willing to endure through the fight?
Heb 11:8-12; Gen 17:1-27; Gen 22:1-18; Jas 2:21-24
2020-07-18
Hebrews 12:2 NIV
James writes, ‘Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown’ (James 1:12 NIV). God calls the people who persevere ‘blessed’, but how often do we think about giving up rather than persevering? But if we give up on our relationships, our career, or our dreams, we might end up regretting it for the rest of our lives. When we choose to persevere, God can strengthen us and help us be victorious. Giving up doesn’t build character, endurance does. It develops something in us that nothing else can. We’re told that ‘suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope’ (Romans 5:3-4 ESV). Nobody knew more about endurance than Jesus. The Bible tells us that ‘He endured the cross.’ Not only did He endure the torture and crucifixion, He also endured the mocking voices of others, betrayal and abandonment from His friends, and God turning His face away from Him. When we feel like we want to give up, we need to follow Jesus’ example. In Hebrews 12, it says: ‘So let us run the race that is before us and never give up…Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect…So do not get tired and stop trying’ (vv.1-3 NCV). God has blessings in store for us, promises waiting to be fulfilled, and things which will bring us joy. We can look forward to eternal life where we see God face to face. Right now things might be tough, but we have to try and see beyond our current circumstances. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus and keep going.
Acts 6-7; Luke 8:16-25; Ps 140; Prov 16:3
