2022-01-16
Romans 14:1 NIV
When someone upsets or disappoints you, God expects you to be gracious toward them instead of judgmental. The Bible says, “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 NIV). You say, “Tempted how?” Tempted to become judgmental or “holier than thou.” That’s the wrong response. “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling.”
Instead of criticizing their faults, you’re supposed to help strengthen their faith. You set yourself up for Satan’s attack in your own areas of weakness the moment you begin to pass judgment on someone else. What’s your reaction to people when they mess up their lives? Do you say, “I told you so,” or “I could see it coming,” or “It serves you right,” or “How could you be such a fool?”
Jesus didn’t do that! His reaction to the woman caught committing adultery was full of compassion and sensitivity. He defended her publicly, then restored her privately. He was gracious, not judgmental. Why should you work at not being judgmental? Because that is the way Christ treated you. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7 NIV).
God puts up with a lot from you, right? And if He puts up with your inconsistencies and weaknesses, you can learn to put up with other people’s shortcomings. Whenever you’re tempted to judge another person, pause and remember how much God has forgiven you. The more you recognize God’s grace to you, the more gracious you will be to others.
Soul food: Judg 16:23-31; 2 Cor 12:3-11
Romans 14:1 NIVUK
When someone upsets or disappoints us, God expects us to be gracious towards them instead of judgmental. The Bible says, ‘If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted’ (Galatians 6:1 NIV). We might be tempted to become judgmental or to have a ‘holier than thou’ attitude. That’s the wrong response. ‘Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling.’ Instead of criticising their faults, we’re supposed to help strengthen their faith.
The moment we begin to judge someone else, we set ourselves up for Satan’s attack in our own areas of weakness. What’s your reaction to people when they make a mistake or mess up their lives? We might say things like, ‘I told you so,’ or ‘I could see it coming,’ or ‘It serves you right,’ or ‘How could you be such a fool?’ Jesus didn’t do that! His reaction to the woman caught committing adultery was full of compassion and sensitivity. He defended her publicly, then restored her privately. He was gracious, not judgmental. And we should work very hard at not being judgmental, because that’s the way Christ treats us. ‘Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God’ (Romans 15:7 NIV).
When we stop and think about it, God puts up with a lot from us. And if He puts up with our inconsistencies and weaknesses, we can surely learn to put up with other people’s failings. Whenever we’re tempted to judge another person, we should pause and remember how much God has forgiven us for. The more we recognise God’s grace to us, the more gracious we’ll be to others.
Judg 16:23-31; 2 Cor 12:3-11
Romeine 14:1 AFR83
Wanneer iemand jou ontstel of teleurstel, verwag God van jou om genadig, eerder as veroordelend, teenoor hulle te wees. Die Bybel sê: ‘…wanneer iemand iets doen wat verkeerd is, moet julle wat deur die Gees gelei word, daardie persoon nederig reghelp. Wees baie versigtig dat jy nie ook versoek word nie’ (Galasiërs 6:1 NLV). Hoe sal jy versoek word? Deur in die versoeking te kom om veroordelend of hoogheilig op te tree. Dis die verkeerde reaksie.
In plaas daarvan om hulle foute te kritiseer, is jy veronderstel om hulle geloof te help versterk. Die oomblik wat jy begin om ander mense te veroordeel, stel jy jouself oop vir Satan se aanval op jou eie areas van swakheid. Wat is jou reaksie wanneer mense ‘n gemors van hulle lewens maak? Sê jy: ‘Ek het jou mos gesê!’ of ‘Ek kon dit voorsien het,’ of ‘Dis jou verdiende loon,’ of ‘Hoe kon jy so dom gewees het?’
Jesus het dit nie gedoen nie! Sy reaksie teenoor die vrou wat owerspel gepleeg het, was vol medelye en sensitiwiteit. Hy het haar in die openbaar verdedig en haar toe privaat herstel. Hy was genadig, nie veroordelend nie. Hoekom moet jy daaraan werk om nie veroordelend te wees nie? Omdat dit die manier is waarop Christus jou behandel het. ‘Aanvaar mekaar dan, soos Christus julle ook aanvaar het. So sal julle God verheerlik’ (Romeine 15:7 NLV).
As God jou teenstrydighede en swakhede kan verdra, kan jy leer om ander mense se tekortkominge te verdra. Wanneer jy in die versoeking kom om iemand anders te oordeel, wag en probeer onthou hoe baie God jou al vergewe het. Hoe meer jy God se genade aan jou onthou, hoe genadiger sal jy teenoor ander mense wees.
Sielskos: Rig 16:23-31; 2 Kor 12:3-11
2022-01-15
Philippians 4:5 GNT
The Greek word used for gentleness means ‘strength under control’. It paints a picture of a wild horse that has been tamed through love and kindness. It doesn’t mean being weak and wimpy. The only two people in the Bible who were called gentle – Moses and Jesus – were both strong. Gentleness is restraining our reactions. It’s choosing our response to people rather than just reacting to them. For the next few days, let’s look at what it means to be gentle.
First, when someone serves us, we should be thoughtful and not demanding. Paul wrote, ‘Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing’ (Philippians 2:4 TLB). The way we treat the servers in a coffee shop, receptionists, customer service assistants, bank clerks, police officers, and others who serve us can say a lot about us. Some people might be rude and difficult with them, or treat them as if they’re just machines without feelings, never thinking that the people serving them may have had a tough day, but only thinking of themselves and their needs. In order to develop gentleness, we should start by trying to understand the people who serve us.
One of the places we can forget to show gentleness is at home. We might be the gentlest and most thoughtful people in the world to others, but become insensitive or unthinking towards those we live with. But the Bible says we must ‘show a gentle attitude toward everyone.’ No exceptions. Not just when we’re having a good day, or when we feel like it. We must be understanding, not demanding, towards the people we live with as well as the people who serve us. So today, let’s practise being gentle with everyone we meet.
Gen 32-34; Luke 3:1-10; Ps 79; Pro 2:9-10
Philippians 4:5 GNT
The Greek word used for gentleness means “strength under control.” It pictures a wild stallion that has been tamed. It doesn’t mean to be weak and wimpy. The only two people in the Bible who were called gentle – Moses and Jesus – were both strong. Gentleness is restraining your reactions. It’s choosing your response to people rather than merely reacting to them. For the next few days, let’s look at what it means to be gentle.
When someone serves you, be thoughtful and not demanding. Paul writes, “Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing” (Philippians 2:4 TLB). How do you treat restaurant servers, clerks, administrative assistants, employees, bank tellers, police officers, and others who serve you? Are you rude and difficult? Are you aloof and impersonal, as if they were just “part of the machinery?” Do you realize they may have had a difficult day too, or do you think only of yourself?
The first way you develop gentleness is to try and understand the people who serve you. And the first place you should be gentle is at home. The Bible tells wives to adorn themselves with “a gentle…spirit” (1 Peter 3:4 TLB). Peter is simply saying that gentleness can be more attractive than any clothes or jewelry you choose to wear. To husbands, the Bible says, “You husbands should try to understand the wives you live with” (v. 7 PHPS). If you are normally insensitive and overbearing, you will have to work extra hard on this. The Scriptures say you must be understanding, not demanding toward the people who serve you and the people with whom you live.
Soul food: Gen 32-34; Luke 3:1-10; Ps 79; Pro 2:9-10
