2022-01-26
Jesaja 51:1 NLV
Wanneer jy mense vir Christus wil wen, kan jy dit nie met ‘n hoogheilige houding doen nie. Ongelukkig is dit hoe die samelewing baie Christene sien; hulle harte is op die regte plek, maar hulle onvermoë om met meelewing met diegene buite hul sirkel te skakel, doen God geen guns nie. As jy wil hê dat mense op die evangelie moet reageer, moet jy ‘n blaadjie uit Paulus se boek neem. ‘…Ek het probeer om soos almal te wees, sodat ek miskien party van hulle kan red’ (1 Korintiërs 9:22 ABA). Voordat jy dalk dink dat Paulus dus nie streng genoeg oor sonde was nie, lees wat hy verder sê: ‘…Dit beteken egter nie dat ek doen wat ek wil nie, want ek moet gehoorsaam wees aan God se wet… As ek my egter so by die mense aanpas, kan ek ook van hulle na Jesus toe lei…’ (1 Korintiërs 9:21-22 DB).
Paulus kon met ongelowiges meelewe sonder om hulle leefstyl te onderskryf, want hy het onthou hoe hy self was voor God hom op die Damaskuspad getransformeer het. Dis die tipe nederigheid wat jy net kry wanneer jy terugkyk en ‘…Dink aan die rots waaruit julle gekap is…’ Deur die ontvanger van God se genade te wees, het Paulus in staat gestel om te skryf: ‘…Jesus Christus het na die wêreld toe gekom om mense wat verkeerd lewe, te help om weer God se vriende te word; ek weet, want as dit by ‘n slegte lewe kom, het ek voor in die ry gestaan. Juis daarom was Jesus so goed vir my. Slegter as wat ek was, kan niemand wees nie, maar so het Jesus duidelik gewys dat Hy nie moed verloor met selfs die slegstes onder ons nie…’ (1 Timoteus 1:15-16 DB). Onthou dus vandag hoe jy was.
Sielskos: Pred 5-8; Luk 6:1-16; Ps 104:1-23; Spr 3:9-10
Isaiah 51:1 NKJV
If you want to win people to Christ, you won’t do it with a holier-than-thou attitude. Sadly, this is how society sees many Christians; their hearts are in the right place, but their ability to relate with compassion to those outside their immediate circle does God no favours. If you want people to respond to the gospel, take a leaf from Paul’s book. He “voluntarily [became] a servant to…all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious…moralists…immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized – whoever” (1 Corinthians 9:19-21 MSG).
Now before you get bent out of shape about Paul being soft on sin, he adds: “I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ – but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become…every sort of servant…in my attempts to lead those I meet into a…saved life…I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” (vv. 22-23 MSG). Paul could relate to unbelievers without endorsing their lifestyle because he remembered what he himself was like before God transformed him on the Damascus road.
It’s the kind of humility that only comes from looking back and remembering “the pit from which you were dug” (Isaiah 51:1 NKJV). Being the recipient of God’s grace enabled Paul to write: “Here’s a word you can take to heart…Jesus…came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof – Public Sinner Number One – of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy” (1 Timothy 1:15-18 MSG). Today, remember what you used to be like.
Soul food: Ecc 5-8; Luke 6:1-16; Ps 104:1-23; Pro 3:9-10
Isaiah 51:1 NCV
If we want to win people to Christ, we won’t be able to do it with a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude. Sadly, this is how people see a lot of Christians; their hearts are in the right place, but their ability to reach out to non-Christians with compassion and sensitivity doesn’t do God any favours. If we want people to respond to the gospel, a good place to start is to follow Paul’s example. He ‘voluntarily [became] a servant to…all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious…moralists…immoralists, the defeated, the demoralised – whoever’ (1 Corinthians 9:19-21 MSG). That doesn’t mean Paul didn’t take sin seriously.
He adds: ‘I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ – but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become…every sort of servant…in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life…I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!’ (v.22-23 MSG). Paul could relate to unbelievers without endorsing their lifestyle because he remembered what he was like himself before God transformed him on the Damascus road.
It’s the kind of humility that only comes from looking back and remembering ‘the stone quarry from which you were dug’ (Isaiah 51:1 NCV). Being the recipient of God’s grace enabled Paul to have this attitude: ‘Here’s a word you can take to heart…Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof – Public Sinner Number One – of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy’ (1 Timothy 1:15-18 MSG). Today, let’s remember what we were like before God stepped in, and look thankfully at how far we’ve come.
Ecc 5-8; Luke 6:1-16; Ps 104:1-23; Pro 3:9-10
2022-01-25
1 Corinthians 4:7 NIV
Your success isn’t found in your similarity to others, but in your difference. Instead of comparing yourself with somebody else and competing with them, try to discover your point of God-given difference, for that’s where you will excel. Singer Pearl Bailey said, “There are two kinds of talent, man-made and God-given talent. With man-made talent you have to work very hard. With God-given talent, you just touch it up once in a while.”
Paul writes, “God has…given each of us different gifts” (Romans 12:6 CEV). Would you rather fight to develop skills where you have a small natural gift, or run with the talent God has given you to find out where it takes you? Dreams don’t come true because you do something well every once in a while. They’re fulfilled because you perform with excellence day after day. And that happens only if you work within an area of strength.
You can’t be like the high school home-run hitter who received an invitation to spring training from a major league baseball team. After the first week, he emailed home to say, “Leading all batters. These pitchers aren’t so tough.” The second week he boasted, “Hitting .500. Looks like I’ll be starting in the infield.” The third week he wrote, “They’re starting to throw curveballs today. Will be home tomorrow.”
You can’t achieve success without consistency, and you can’t achieve consistency working outside your God-given strengths. It will take all the talent you have to achieve your God-given dream. Following that talent will give you the best chance to be consistently good at what you do. So the word for you today is – build on your strengths.
Soul food: Ecc 1-4; Luke 5:27-39; Ps 100; Pro 3:7-8
1 Korintiërs 4:7 NLV
Jou sukses word nie in jou ooreenkomste met ander mense gevind nie, maar in jou verskille. In plaas daarvan om jouself met iemand anders te vergelyk en met hulle te kompeteer, probeer om jou Godgegewe verskil te ontdek, want dis waar jy sal uitblink. Die sanger Pearl Bailey het gesê: ‘Daar is twee soorte talent, mensgemaakte en Godgegewe talent. Met mensgemaakte talent moet jy baie hard werk. Met Godgegewe talent doen jy net so af en toe ‘n bietjie instandhouding.’
Paulus skryf: ‘Ons het gawes wat van mekaar verskil volgens die genade wat God aan elkeen van ons gegee het…’ (Romeine 12:6 NLV). Sal jy eerder veg om vaardighede te ontwikkel waarvoor jy ‘n klein natuurlike aanleg het, of hardloop met die talent wat God vir jou gegee het om uit te vind waarheen dit jou neem? Drome word nie waar omdat jy elke nou en dan iets goed doen nie. Hulle word vervul omdat jy dag na dag met uitnemendheid optree. Dit gebeur slegs wanneer jy in ‘n area van jou sterkpunte werk.
Jy kan nie soos die bofbalspeler in hoërskool wees wat uitgenooi is om tydens die somer saam met ‘n professionele bofbalspan te oefen nie. Na die eerste week, het hy sy ouers laat weet: ‘Ek is die beste van al die kolwers. Die boulers is nie so taai nie.’ Die tweede week het hy gespog: ‘My kolftelling is baie goed, ek dink ek gaan een van die sterkolwers in die span wees.’ Die derde week het hy geskryf: ‘Hulle begin vandag draaiballe gooi. Ek sal more by die huis wees.’
Jy kan nie sukses sonder konsekwentheid behaal nie en jy kan nie konsekwentheid behaal wanneer jy buite jou Godgegewe sterkpunte werk nie. Die woord vir jou vandag is dus – bou aan jou sterkpunte.
Sielskos: Pred 1-4; Luk 5:27-39; Ps 100; Spr 3:7-8
