2021-03-13
Proverbs 18:8 ESV
Gossip can be a ‘delicious morsel’ that’s hard to resist. So if we have the opportunity to gossip, we need to catch ourselves before we indulge in it. There are many reasons why we choose to gossip. We might feel that it’s the only way to fit in and establish camaraderie with others. We might enjoy being the centre of attention. It might make us feel superior or powerful to know something negative about somebody else. It might be because we feel jealous of someone else’s achievements. We might even gossip just because we’re feeling bored.
1 Corinthians 6:19 says that we are ‘temples of the Holy Spirit’ (NIV), so whenever we’re tempted to listen to gossip, we need to ask ourselves if we’re willing to fill God’s temple with something that’s so unhealthy and negative. We need to make a choice to cut gossip out of our lives by refusing to share or listen to it. That might mean actively letting people know we’re not interested and declaring ourselves a ‘gossip-free zone’, or going out of our way to avoid places or situations where we know we’ll be drawn in to gossip.
Solomon wrote, ‘A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers’ (Proverbs 20:19 NLT). We please God when our words are used as instruments of righteousness, and we can declare, ‘May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer’ (Psalm19:14 NIV).
Job 5-7; Matt 22:34-46; Ps 26; Prov 7:26-27
Spreuke 18:8 NLV
Skinderstories kan ‘so soet soos lekkers’ wees, wat moeilik is om te weerstaan. Wat is dus die oplossing? Keer jouself voor jy toegee daaraan! Vra jouself af hoekom jy besluit het om die draer van slegte nuus te wees. Is dit die enigste manier om kameraadskap met ander te bewerkstellig? Geniet jy dit om die middelpunt van aandag te wees? Laat dit jou meerderwaardig voel om iets negatiefs van iemand te weet? Is jy jaloers op die onderwerp van die storie se prestasies? Hoekom is jy gewillig om die tempel van God as ‘n ‘asblik’ te gebruik deur skinderstories aan te hoor? (sien 1 Korintiërs 6:19). Wat beplan jy om met die skinderstorie wat jy gehoor het te doen? Is jy verveeld en het meer bevredigende aktiwiteite nodig?
Mense wat weet wat hulle Godgegewe lewensdoel is en daaraan toegewyd is om dit te vervul, het nie tyd vir skinderstories nie. As jy dus ernstig is om dit uit jou lewe te elimineer, moet jy oorlog daarteen maak. Laat almal weet dat jy nie meer soet lekkers gaan aandra of aanhoor nie. Verklaar dat jou omgewing by die werk, by die huis, by die kerk of in jou vrye tyd ‘n ‘skinder-vrye sone’ is en wend elke poging aan om skindertonge te vermy. Salomo skryf: ‘Iemand wat loop en skinder, lap geheime uit. Bly weg van iemand wat alte maklik praat’ (Spreuke 20:19 NLV).
Wanneer jy jou tong as ‘n instrument van geregtigheid gebruik, styg jou aandele in die hemel. Jy sal in staat wees om nederig, met volkome afhanklikheid aan die Vader, te verklaar: ‘Mag die woorde van my mond en die gedagtes van my hart vir U aanneemlik wees, Here, my rots en my Verlosser’ (Psalm 19:15 NLV). Moenie skinder nie!
Sielskos: Job 5-7; Matt 22:34-46; Ps 26; Spr 7:26-27
2021-03-12
1 Peter 1:5 NKJV
If our salvation is assured when we place our trust in Christ, might not some people take advantage of this assurance? Yes, they might, for a time. But as grace goes deep, and as God’s love and kindness sink in, they change.
Grace fosters obedience. “The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say, ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12 NIV). God’s grace does more than comfort you in your troubles; it convicts you in your disobedience. Let it convict you. If you ever catch yourself thinking, “I can do whatever I want because God will forgive me,” then grace isn’t happening to you. Selfishness, perhaps. Arrogance, for sure. But grace? No.
Grace creates a resolve to do good, not permission to do bad. And one more thought. Look to Christ for your beginning and ending. He’s Alpha and Omega. He will hold you, and He will hold on to the ones you love. Do you have a prodigal son or daughter? Do you long for your spouse to come to God? Do you have a friend whose faith has grown cold? God wants them back more than you do. Keep praying, and don’t give up.
The truth is, we don’t always know if someone has trusted God’s grace. A person may have feigned belief but not meant it. It’s not ours to know. But we do know this: where there is genuine conversion, grace never stops working. So today, trust God’s saving and keeping power.
Soul food: Job 1-4; Matt 22:23-33; Ps 24; Prov 7:24-25
1 Petrus 1:5 AFR83
As ons redding verseker is wanneer ons ons vertroue in Christus plaas, kan sommige mense nie dalk misbruik van hierdie versekering maak nie? Ja, hulle mag dalk, vir ‘n tyd lank. Soos genade egter dieper gaan en soos God se liefde en goedheid by hulle insink, begin hulle verander.
Genade bevorder gehoorsaamheid. ‘Die liefdevolle goedheid van God wat verlossing bring, het inderdaad vir almal sigbaar geword. Dit voed ons op om die goddelose leefstyl en die wêreldse begeertes af te lê en gebalanseerd, met opregtheid en toewyding aan God, in die huidige tyd te leef’ (Titus 2:11-12 NLV). God se genade doen meer as om jou in moeilikheid te troos; dit oortuig jou in jou ongehoorsaamheid.
As jy jouself ooit vang dink: ‘Ek kan doen wat ek wil, want God sal my vergewe,’ beteken dit dat genade nie in jou posgevat het nie. Selfsug, dalk. Arrogansie, vir seker. Maar genade? Nee. Genade skep ‘n voorneme om goed te doen, nie toestemming om sleg te doen nie.
Kyk na Christus vir jou begin en einde. Hy is die Alfa en die Omega. Hy sal jou en jou geliefdes vashou. Het jy ‘n verlore seun of dogter? Smag jy vir jou eggenoot om terug te keer na God toe? Het jy ‘n vriend wie se geloof koud geword het? God wil hulle nog meer as jy terughê. Hou aan bid en moenie opgee nie. Ons weet nie altyd of iemand God se genade vertrou het nie. ‘n Persoon mag dalk voorgegee het dat hulle glo, maar dit nie regtig bedoel het nie. Dis nie vir ons om te weet nie. Ons weet egter die volgende: waar daar opregte bekering is, hou genade nooit op werk nie. Vertrou dus vandag op God se reddende en blywende krag.
Sielskos: Job 1-4; Matt 22:23-33; Ps 24; Spr 7:24-25
1 Peter 1:5 NCV
We might be tempted to think that because our salvation is assured when we put our trust in Christ, we can just carry on living with our old habits and mindset. It might work for a while, but as grace goes deeper and God’s love and kindness sink in, He changes our hearts.
Grace nurtures obedience to God. ‘The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’ (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).
God’s grace does more than comfort us in our troubles; it convicts us when we stray from God’s path. We need to let it convict us. If we ever start thinking, ‘I can do whatever I want because God will forgive me,’ then grace isn’t happening to us. It doesn’t give us permission to do things God wouldn’t approve of, but instead creates a resolve within us to do good and follow His will.But if we do go wrong, and confess it to God with a repentant heart, His grace means that He’ll welcome us with open arms. He’ll hold us, and He’ll hold on to our loved ones.
Do you have a friend whose faith has grown cold, or a family member who’s turned their back on God? He wants them back more than you do. Keep praying for them, and don’t give up. The truth is, we don’t always know if someone has trusted God’s grace – they may have only pretended to believe. But where someone has truly put their faith in God, grace never stops working. So today, trust God’s saving and keeping power.
Job 1-4; Matt 22:23-33; Ps 24; Prov 7:24-25
