2022-05-26
Philippians 2:3 CEV
Paul writes, “Consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way… Christ Jesus thought” (vv. 3-5 CEV). That kind of thinking goes against our natural instincts, but Jesus showed us how to do it. Hanging on the cross, He took time for the condemned criminal hanging next to Him (See Luke 23:39-43).
As he was being stoned, Stephen prayed for those who were killing him, asking God not to lay the sin to their charge (See Acts 7:60). Beaten and wrongly imprisoned, Paul and Silas took time to minister to their jailer. Even after God sent a powerful earthquake that broke their chains and opened their prison doors, they stayed for the sole purpose of ministering to their captor. How tempting it must have been to escape while the opportunity was there. How easy it would have been to look out for themselves and not worry about anybody else. But their act of love moved the jailer to ask how he might be saved, and as a result, he and his entire family were won to Christ (See Acts 16:25-34).
In a world whose philosophy is “look out for number one,” selfishness is an instinct you will need God’s help to overcome every day. And when you do, people will take notice. You will never win others by being just like them, so here is the question you need to answer: How many of your friends and loved ones may come to know Christ if you demonstrate that you genuinely love them instead of ignoring, judging, and rejecting them? Go ahead – try it! “Consider others more important than [yourself].”
Soul food: Heb 11:17-13:25; Matt 12:22-37; Ps 47; Pro 12:4-6
Filippense 2:3 NLV
Paulus skryf: ‘…Wees eerder nederig deur van medegelowiges meer te dink as van jouself. Julle moenie net elkeen na sy eie belange omsien nie, maar ook na mekaar se belange. Julle gesindheid moet soos Jesus Christus s’n wees’ (verse 3-5 NLV).
Hierdie tipe denke druis teen ons natuurlike aard in, maar Jesus het ons gewys hoe om dit te doen. Terwyl Hy aan die kruis gehang het, het Hy tyd vir die veroordeelde misdadiger wat langs hom gekruisig is, gemaak (sien Lukas 23:39-43). Soos hy gestenig is, het Stefanus vir die mense gebid wat besig was om hom dood te maak en God gevra om nie daardie sonde teen hulle te hou nie (sien Handelinge 7:60 NLV). Nadat hulle geslaan en onskuldig in die tronk gegooi is, het Paulus en Silas die tyd geneem om vir hulle tronkbewaarder van die evangelie te vertel. Selfs nadat God ‘n kragtige aardbewing gestuur het wat hulle kettings gebreek het en die tronkdeure laat oopgaan het, het hulle agtergebly om vir hom te preek. Hoe aanloklik moes dit nie gewees het om te ontsnap toe die geleentheid hom voordoen nie. Hulle daad van liefde het egter die bewaarder genoop om te vra hoe hy gered kan word, en gevolglik is hy en sy hele familie vir Christus gewen (sien Handelinge 16:25-34).
Selfsug is ‘n instink waarvoor jy God se hulp daagliks nodig sal hê om te oorkom. Jy sal nooit ander mense wen deur net soos hulle te wees nie, dus is hier die vraag wat jy moet antwoord: Hoeveel van jou vriende en geliefdes kan Christus dalk leer ken indien jy wys dat jy waarlik vir hulle lief is, in plaas daarvan om hulle te ignoreer, te veroordeel of te verwerp? Probeer dit! ‘…Wees eerder nederig deur van medegelowiges meer te dink as van jouself.’
Sielskos: Heb 11:17-13:25; Matt 12:22-37; Ps 47; Spr 12:4-6
Philippians 2:3 CEV
Paul wrote, ‘Consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought’ (v.3-5 CEV). That kind of thinking doesn’t always come easily to us, but Jesus showed us how to do it. Hanging on the cross, He took time for the condemned criminal hanging next to Him (see Luke 23:39-43). As Stephen was being stoned, he prayed for those who were killing him, asking God not to lay the sin at their door (see Acts 7:60). Paul and Silas were beaten and wrongly imprisoned, but that didn’t stop them taking time to minister to their jailer. Even after God sent a powerful earthquake that broke their chains and opened their prison doors, they stayed to minister to their captor. It must have been so tempting to escape while the opportunity was there. It would have been easy to look out for themselves and not worry about anybody else. But their act of love moved the jailer to ask how he could be saved, with the result that he and his entire family accepted Christ (see Acts 16:25-34).
In a world whose philosophy is often ‘look out for number one’, we need God’s help every day to overcome feelings of selfishness. And when we do, other people will notice that we’re different, and they’ll want to know why. Just think how many of your friends and loved ones could come to know God if you refused to judge, unfairly criticise, or ignore them, and instead, consistently showed that you genuinely love them! ‘Consider others more important than yourselves’, and be ready to have conversations about the One who makes us different.
Heb 11:17-13:25; Matt 12:22-37; Ps 47; Pro 12:4-6
2022-05-25
Luke 8:48 NKJV
The Bible says: ‘Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years… touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped… Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden… she declared… she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately’ (v.43-44, 46-47 NKJV).
There are three important lessons for us in this story: 1) Recognise and then seize your moment of opportunity. This woman realised that Jesus was visiting her town and was determined not to miss the chance she had. There are ‘God moments’ in life when we have to rearrange our priorities, overcome fear, and rely on our faith to ensure we don’t miss God’s best.
2) Be willing to try a different approach. Because of the large crowd, the woman couldn’t get Jesus’ attention, so instead she touched the hem of His garment, and was healed. Many times, faith calls for stepping into the unknown, doing something we’ve never tried before, and discovering God’s grace at work in ways we never expected.
3) Set an example for others to follow. Until this time, no one in Scripture had been healed by touching Jesus’ garment, and this woman’s faith opened a door for others to follow her example. ‘People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed’ (Matthew 14:35-36 NIV).
God looks for people who are willing to break with tradition, or the ‘normal’ way of doing things. And when He finds them, He uses them to unlock new dimensions of His power so others can be blessed and made whole.
Heb 9:1-11:16; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 97; Pro 12:1-3
Lukas 8:48 NLV
Die Bybel sê: ‘Daar was ‘n vrou in die skare wat twaalf jaar lank aan bloedvloeiing gely het… Sy het van agter na Jesus gekom en die soom van sy kleed aangeraak. Onmiddellik het die bloeding gestop. ‘Wie het My aangeraak?’ het Jesus gevra… ‘…want Ek het genesende krag uit My voel vloei.’ Toe die vrou besef dat Jesus weet, het sy… vertel waarom sy Hom aangeraak het en hoe sy onmiddellik gesond geword het’ (verse 43-47 NLV). Daar is drie belangrike lesse vir ons in hierdie verhaal:
1) Gryp jou oomblik aan. Hierdie vrou het verstaan dat Jesus op besoek aan haar dorp was en dalk nie sou terugkeer nie. Daar is ‘God oomblikke’ in jou lewe waar jy jou prioriteite moet herrangskik, jou vrees moet oorkom en jou geloof moet uitoefen.
2) Wees gewillig om ‘n ander benadering te volg. Aangesien sy as gevolg van die skare nie Jesus se aandag kon trek nie, het die vrou die soom van sy kleed aangeraak en is genees. Baie keer verg geloof dat jy die onbekende betree en iets doen wat jy nog nooit vantevore gedoen het nie.
3) Skep ‘n voorbeeld vir ander om te volg. Niemand het voor hierdie vrou al genesing ervaar deur Jesus se kleed aan te raak nie. Haar geloof het ‘n deur vir ander oopgemaak om haar voorbeeld te volg. ‘Toe die plaaslike mense dit hoor, het hulle… al hulle siekes na Hom toe gebring. Die siekes het Hom gesmeek om aan Hom te mag raak, al was dit maar net aan die onderste rand van sy jas. En almal wat daaraan geraak het, het gesond geword’ (Matteus 14:35-36 NLV).
God gebruik mense wat gewillig is om met tradisie te breek, om sodoende nuwe dimensies van sy krag oop te sluit sodat ander mense geseën en herstel kan word.
Sielskos: Heb 9:1-11:16; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 97; Spr 12:1-3
