2021-09-05
Romans 8:6 NCV
Pessimism affects us spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Negativity can have an effect on our physical, mental and emotional health, and can also affect our ability to cope with physical pain. The words we speak don’t just affect others, they affect us too – sometimes they affect us even more. ‘Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father’ (Colossians 3:17 NLT). That includes the words we say to and about ourselves.
Words are powerful. When we repeatedly tell ourselves something, whether it’s something positive or negative, we eventually begin to believe it, which means we have the God-given ability to change our perception of our own abilities from limited to limitless.
But let’s be clear about what that does and doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean we can suddenly develop a skill, and do it brilliantly, just because we decide to and want to. It’s still going to take time, effort and practice to grow. But it does mean we can do whatever God has told us to do in His Word. Whatever He calls us to do, He’ll enable us to do. And that’ll happen when we line up our thoughts and words with what’s written in His Word. Romans 8:6 says, ‘If people’s thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death, but if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace’ (NCV).
God wants what’s best for us, and His Spirit will speak words of encouragement, hope and love into our lives. Let’s take those words, claim them, treasure them, and live by them.
Judg 16:23-31; 2 Cor 12:7-10
Romans 8:6 CEV
Pessimism affects you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Negativity is directly related to heart disease, immune system deficits, and the ability to cope with physical pain.
The famous Mayo Clinic conducted a thirty-year study of eight-hundred patients – and the results are telling. The pessimists’ risk of early death was 19 percent higher than that of the optimists in the group. In Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania concluded that optimism and pessimism affect your health almost as clearly as physical factors.
Have you ever said, “I’m sick to death of this”? Then do something about it – quickly! If you hold onto that thought for too long – it may come true. One of the great findings of modern medical science is that the words we speak don’t just affect others, they affect us too. Indeed, sometimes they affect us even more! Words are powerful. You believe and internalize what you repeatedly say. That means you have the God-given ability to change your perception of your own abilities from limited to limitless.
Let’s be clear about what that does and doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean you can play the guitar like Eric Clapton or paint like Van Gogh just because you decide to and want to. But it does mean you can do whatever God has told you to do in His Word. Whatever He calls you to do, He will enable you to do. And that’ll happen when you line up what comes out of your mouth with what’s written in His Word.
Soul food: Judg 16:23-31; 2 Cor 12:7-10
Romeine 8:6 NLV
Pessimisme affekteer jou geestelik, emosioneel en fisies. Negatiwiteit word direk met hartsiektes, immuunstelseltekorte en die vermoë om fisiese pyn die hoof te bied, verbind. Die beroemde Mayo kliniek het agt-en-dertig jaar lank ‘n studie van agthonderd pasiënte gedoen – en die resultate is veelseggend. Die pessimiste in die groep se risiko om ‘n vroeë dood te sterf, was 19 persent hoër as die optimiste s’n.
In Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, het dr Martin Seligman van die Universiteit van Pennsylvania tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat optimisme en pessimisme jou gesondheid amper soveel soos fisiese faktore, beïnvloed. Het jy al ooit gesê: ‘Ek is tot die dood toe moeg hiervoor’? Doen dan iets daaraan – en vinnig ook! As jy te lank aan daardie gedagte vashou, mag dit dalk waar word.
Een van die grootste bevindinge van die moderne wetenskap is dat die woorde wat ons spreek nie net ander mense beïnvloed nie, maar onsself ook beïnvloed. Dit affekteer ons inderwaarheid soms meer! Woorde is kragtig. Jy glo en internaliseer dit wat jy herhaaldelik sê. Dit beteken dat jy die Godgegewe vermoë het om jou persepsie van jou eie vaardighede te kan verander.
Kom ons wees duidelik oor wat dit beteken en wat dit nie beteken nie. Dit beteken nie dat jy die kitaar soos Eric Clapton kan speel of soos Van Gogh kan verf, net omdat jy dit besluit het en dit wil doen nie. Dit beteken egter dat jy alles kan doen wat God in sy Woord gesê het jy kan doen. Hy sal jou in staat stel om dit waarvoor Hy jou geroep het, te doen. Dit sal gebeur wanneer jy dit wat uit jou mond kom, in lyn met dit wat in sy Woord geskryf staan, bring.
Sielskos: Rig 16:23-31; 2 Kor 12:7-10
2021-09-04
Filippense 4:8 DB
Positiewe self-praatjies is nie ‘n nuwe konsep nie; dis ‘n Skriftuurlike konsep. Paulus skryf: ‘…Dink aan dit wat vir God saak maak, dinge wat ordentlik en reg is, dinge waaraan God sal dink en waarvan Hy sal hou, dinge wat God sal sê goed is. Moenie julle tyd mors om aan allerhande nuttelose dinge te sit en dink nie. Hou julle besig met dinge wat die moeite werd is en wat God in ‘n goeie lig stel.’
Hier is drie maniere om dit te doen: 1) Vermy vergelykings. Elkeen van ons het verskillende vaardighede. Jy is uniek. Die manier hoe jy dinge doen mag dalk van ander se tegnieke verskil, maar dit maak dit nie verkeerd nie. Vergelykings is onverstandig, onregverdig en bevorder negatiwiteit. Tensy jy die huidige wêreldkampioen is, sal daar altyd iemand wees wat beter as jy in ‘n spesifieke vaardigheid is.
2) Hou aan hoop. Die Bybel sê: “Teen alle verwagting in het Abraham geglo dat hy nog die stamvader van baie volke sou word op grond van God se belofte: ‘Jou nageslag sal so baie wees soos die sterre aan die hemel'” (Romeine 4:18 NLV). Die Psalmdigter het gesê: ‘Nee, ek plaas my hoop op God! Ek sal Hom weer prys…’ (Psalm 42:6 NLV). Hoop kan jou ‘Ek kan nie,’ wonderbaarlik in ‘Met ‘n bietjie meer tyd kan ek,’ verander. Die verskil is klein, maar diepgaande.
3) Tree positief op om sodoende positief te word. In Winning the Stress Challenge, haal dr Nick Hall ‘n studie aan wat bevestig dat seine wat na die brein van ‘n persoon oorgedra word wanneer hulle op ‘n sekere manier optree, soortgelyke fisiese en geestelike veranderinge veroorsaak as wat deur die werklike emosionele reaksies ontlok word. Met ander woorde, wanneer jy ‘n glimlag op jou gesig plak, kan dit jou waarlik gelukkiger laat voel. Probeer dit!
Sielskos: Eseg 24:1-27:24; Luk 20:1-8; Ps 20; Spr 19:24-29
Philippians 4:8 NLT
Speaking positivity to ourselves and about ourselves is a scriptural idea. Paul wrote, ‘Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.’
Here are three ways we can do that: 1) Avoid comparison. Each of us has a different skill set. Each of us is unique. The way you do things might be different from the way other people do them, but that doesn’t make your way wrong. Comparison is unfair, and it creates negativity. There’ll nearly always be somebody who’s better at a specific skill than you are. But that doesn’t mean you should give up working at it, or that God thinks less of you – because He doesn’t.
2) Coast on hope. The Bible says, ‘Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”‘ (Romans 4:18 NLT). And the psalmist wrote, ‘I should put my hope in God and keep praising him’ (Psalm 42:5 NCV). When the situation as we see it looks impossible and we can’t find a way out, we should allow ourselves to coast along on the hope we have in God and trust He’ll come through. It can miraculously transform our ‘I can’t’ into ‘God can’.
3) Act positively. 1 Thessalonians 5 encourages us to ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’ (v.16-18 NIV). Whatever’s happening in our lives, let’s make the decision to find something to thank God for and allow our minds to dwell on His goodness.
Eze 24:1-27:24; Luke 20:1-8; Ps 20; Prov 19:24-29
