2021-07-08
Proverbs 12:23 NLT
Do you have a hard time refraining from offering unsolicited advice? Do you routinely use expressions like “You should,” or “You shouldn’t?” People tend to resent someone who always assumes that they know what’s best for them. Even when you feel like you’ve earned the right to speak into someone’s life, proceed with caution. Saying “Have you considered?” sounds a lot less controlling, and will be more readily received, than telling somebody “You must,” or “You mustn’t.”
As one author writes: “Even if you have knowledge and insight into a certain situation, sometimes it’s prudent to keep silent and give another the joy and fulfillment of explaining it.” Being an “expert” on almost every topic is a sure indication of pride, and it’s repulsive to God and man. Even if you’re brilliant but humble, your very presence can cause those with low self-esteem to feel uncomfortable and inferior. Displaying intellectual superiority simply alienates people, and can cause them to look for areas of weakness in your life in order to cut you down to size.
If you tend to be a know-it-all, you may need to do some honest soul-searching. Is your display of knowledge a disguise for insecurity? Do you long for attention or appreciation from others because you’re not getting it from the source you desire? Try this: Listen attentively, ask for ideas, resist correcting and disputing, and limit your opinion to one or two points. You’ll be surprised how quickly your relationships will start to improve. People enjoy a dialogue, not a monologue, so live by this time-tested scriptural principle: “The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge.”
Soul food: Jer 51-52; Luke 6:1-16; Ps 137; Prov 15:15-17
Spreuke 12:23 NLV
Sukkel jy om jouself daarvan te weerhou om ongevraagd raad te gee? Gebruik jy gereeld uitdrukkings soos: ‘Jy moet,’ of ‘Jy moenie’? Mense is geneig om iemand kwalik te neem wat altyd aanneem dat hulle weet wat die beste vir hulle lewens is. Selfs wanneer jy voel dat jy die reg verdien het om kommentaar op iemand anders se lewe te lewer, moet jy versigtig te werk gaan. Deur te sê: ‘Het jy dit oorweeg?’ sal makliker ontvang word as om vir iemand te sê: ‘Jy moet,’ of ‘Jy mag nie.’
Soos een skrywer opmerk: ‘Selfs wanneer jy kennis en insig in ‘n sekere situasie het, is dit soms verstandig om stil te bly en iemand anders die vreugde en vervulling te gee om dit te verduidelik.’ Om ‘n ‘kundige’ oor byna elke onderwerp te wees, is ‘n duidelike aanduiding van trots, wat afstootlik vir God en mense is. Selfs as jy briljant maar nederig is, kan jou teenwoordigheid diegene met ‘n lae selfbeeld ongemaklik en minderwaardig laat voel. Deur jou intellektuele meerderwaardigheid ten toon te stel, vervreem jy mense en veroorsaak jy dat hulle vir swakplekke soek om jou van jou troontjie af te stamp.
As jy geneig is om beterweterig te wees, is dit dalk nodig om jou siel eerlik te ondersoek. Is jou vertoon van kennis ‘n front vir onsekerheid? Verlang jy na aandag en waardering van ander, omdat jy dit nie by die bron kry van wie jy dit af soek nie?
Probeer die volgende: Luister aandagtig, vra vir idees, vermy dit om ander te korrigeer of te weerlê en beperk jou opinie tot een of twee punte. Mense geniet ‘n dialoog, nie ‘n monoloog nie, lewe dus volgens die volgende Skriftuurlike beginsel: “‘n Verstandige mens bly stil oor sy kennis…”
Sielskos: Jer 51-52; Luk 6:1-16; Ps 137; Spr 15:15-17
2021-07-07
Psalm 119:11 NIV
Senator Bill Nelson trained for and flew on a six-day space shuttle mission aboard the Columbia just prior to the Challenger disaster. In his book Mission he explains how difficult it is to maintain a proper orbit in space. There’s no resistance in space, so an astronaut can literally turn that huge orbiter over by himself. To maintain a proper orbit, the onboard computers constantly make course and altitude corrections by firing small rockets which make minute adjustments, while larger jets burn fuel to make major adjustments. These rockets are critical, for if they don’t consistently fire at the right time, the space vehicle can veer from its orbit and go tumbling into outer space or crashing into Earth’s atmosphere.
There’s an important lesson here for each of us. Left to ourselves, we tend to veer out of our spiritual orbit into lukewarmness and indifference. Or worse – we end up in sin and rebellion. That’s when the rockets of prayer and Bible study, “fired” on a continuous and consistent basis, help us to keep our course correct, and prevent our lives from spinning out of spiritual control.
Bible study and prayer go together. You should pray before you read the Bible to ask God to help you understand it. And you should pray after you read it to ask God to help you apply what He has told you. Like a faraway lover, God’s love letter to you is the Bible, and prayer is the telephone you pick up and talk back to Him. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain your daily prayer and Bible study.
Soul food: Jer 49-50; Luke 5:27-39; Ps 122; Prov 15:10-14
Psalm 119:11 NIV
Senator Bill Nelson trained for and flew on a six-day space shuttle mission on board the Columbia. In his book Mission, he explained how difficult it is to maintain a proper orbit in space. There’s no resistance in space, so an astronaut can literally turn over the huge shuttle on their own. To maintain the correct orbit, the onboard computers constantly make course and altitude corrections by firing small rockets which make tiny adjustments, while larger jets burn fuel to make major adjustments. These rockets are critical – if they don’t consistently fire at the right time, the shuttle can drift from its orbit and go tumbling into outer space or crashing into Earth’s atmosphere.
There’s an important lesson here for us. Left to ourselves, we tend to drift out of our spiritual orbit into lukewarmness and indifference. Or worse, we end up in sin and rebellion. That’s when the rockets of prayer and Bible study, ‘fired’ on a continuous and consistent basis, help us to keep our course correct, and prevent our lives from spinning out of spiritual control.
Bible study and prayer go together. We should pray before we read the Bible, asking God to help us understand what we’re about to read. And we should also pray after we read it, asking God to help us apply what He’s told us through His Word. ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness’ (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV). Getting into a habit of a daily prayer and Bible study time is so important – it’ll help us stay close to God and quickly become aware if we’re drifting off His path so we can make whatever adjustments are necessary to get back to Him.
Jer 49-50; Luke 5:27-39; Ps 122; Prov 15:10-14
Psalm 119:11 NLV
Senator Bill Nelson het op ‘n ses-dag ruimtetuigmissie aanboord die Columbia, net voor die Challenger ramp, gevlieg. In sy boek, Mission, verduidelik hy hoe moeilik dit is om ‘n behoorlike wentelbaan in die ruimte te handhaaf. Daar is geen weerstand in die ruimte nie, dus kan ‘n ruimtevaarder daardie groot wentelbaan letterlik self omkeer. Om in die regte wentelbaan te bly, maak die rekenaars aanboord voortdurend koers- en hoogteregstellings deur klein vuurpyle af te vuur wat klein aanpassings maak, terwyl groter vuurpyle brandstof verbrand om groot aanpassings te maak. Hierdie vuurpyle is van kritieke belang, want as hulle nie konsekwent op die regte tyd afgevuur word nie, kan die ruimtetuig uit sy wentelbaan beweeg en in die buitenste ruim rondtuimel of in die aarde se atmosfeer neerstort.
Daar is ‘n belangrike les hieruit te leer. As ons aan onsself oorgelaat word, is ons geneig om uit ons geestelike wentelbaan na louheid en onverskilligheid te tuimel. Of nog erger – ons eindig in sonde en rebellie op. Dis hoekom die vuurpyle van geloof en Bybelstudie, wat op ‘n aanhoudende en konsekwente basis ‘afgevuur’ word, ons help om op koers te bly en ons lewens keer om uit geestelike beheer te tuimel.
Bybelstudie en gebed gaan hand aan hand. Jy moet bid voor jy die Bybel lees om God te vra om jou te help om dit te verstaan. Jy moet ook na jy Bybel gelees het bid, om God te vra om jou te help om dit wat Hy vir jou gesê het, toe te pas. Soos met ‘n geliefde wat ver is, is die Bybel God se liefdesbrief aan jou en gebed is die telefoon wat jy optel en met Hom praat. Dis hoekom dit noodsaaklik is om jou daaglikse gebed en Bybelstudie te handhaaf.
Sielskos: Jer 49-50; Luk 5:27-39; Ps 122; Spr 15:10-14
