2023-02-16
1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV
The new birth begins a transforming process in how you think about yourself. But it must be continued each day by renewing your mind. “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).
Observe, when your thinking is changed by God’s Word, two things happen: (a) you know His will for you, and (b) you know He is pleased with you. When those two things happen, your self-perception is changed and you’re no longer at the mercy of other people’s opinions or evaluation of you.
Our opinion of ourselves is deeply affected by the opinions of the authority figures in our formative years. If our parents tended to neglect or ignore us, we concluded that we weren’t worth their time, attention, or love, and it tore at our self-worth. But as we mature in God’s Word, we learn to walk in the light of our new self-image and we gain new self-worth.
Regardless of what you have been through in life or the mistakes you have made, God will help you to realise who you are and what He has graced you to do. Before Paul met Christ, he killed Christians; that’s as bad as it gets. But after he met Christ, he wrote, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” When you understand God’s grace – His unearned, undeserved, unfailing favour toward you – it will profoundly change how you feel about yourself.
Soul food: Gen 50; Haggai 1-2; Luke 9:57-62; Ps 149; Prov 4:25-27
2023-02-15
Filippense 4:6 NLV
Paulus skryf: ‘Moet oor niks bekommerd wees nie, maar bid oor alles. Vra alles wat julle nodig het van God, terwyl julle Hom ook dank vir alles wat Hy doen. As julle so bid, sal julle God se vrede beleef. Hierdie vrede is wonderliker as wat ‘n mens ooit kan dink. Omdat julle aan Christus behoort, sal die vrede van God julle harte en gedagtes soos ‘n veiligheidswag oppas’ (verse 6-7 NLV).
Bekommernis is soos ‘n wiegstoel. Dit hou jou besig, maar dit bring jou nêrens. As jy dit inderwaarheid te lank doen, maak dit jou net moeg! Een mediese kundige sê dat ons ongeveer dertigduisend gedagtes per dag het en deur ons ongekontroleerde gedagtegang, skep ons ‘n gunstige omgewing vir siekte; ons maak onsself siek! ‘n Ander mediese navorser skat dat 87 persent van siektes met verkeerde gedagtepatrone verbind kan word.
Die bron van bekommernis is eenvoudig; dis die versuim om God te vertrou om vir die verskillende situasies in jou lewe te sorg. Die meeste van ons probeer al ons hele lewe lank om vir onsself te sorg, dus neem dit tyd – en baie daarvan – om te leer om eerder op God te vertrou. Die enigste manier wat jy leer om dit te doen, is om dit eenvoudig te doen. Elke keer wat jy bid en die probleem aan God oorgee, ervaar jy sy getrouheid. Dit maak dit makliker om Hom volgende keer te vertrou.
Wanneer dit by probleme kom, sal daar altyd ‘n volgende een wees! Wanneer jy dus begin angstig voel, sê: ‘Ek vertrou God volkome; daar is geen rede om my te bekommer nie!’ Hoe meer jy oor hierdie waarheid dink, hoe meer sal jy vind dat jy vertroue bo bekommernis kies.
Sielskos: Gen 47-49; Luk 9:46-56; Ps 145:14-21; Spr 4:23-24
Philippians 4:6 CEV
Paul writes: “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel” (vv. 6-7 CEV). Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; it’s always in motion and it keeps you busy, but it never actually gets you anywhere. In fact, if you do it too long, it wears you out!
One medical expert says that we create about thirty thousand thoughts per day, and through an uncontrolled thought life, we create favourable conditions for illness; we make ourselves sick! Another medical researcher estimates that 87 percent of illness is connected to wrong thought patterns.
The cause of worry is simple: It’s the failure to trust God to take care of the various situations in your life. Most of us have spent our lives trying to take care of ourselves, so it takes time – lots of it – to learn how to trust God instead. And the only way you learn that is by doing it. Each time you pray and turn the problem over to God, you experience His faithfulness. That makes it easier for you to trust Him next time.
And when it comes to life’s problems, there will always be a “next time.” So each time you begin to feel anxious, say, “I trust God completely; there is no need to worry!” The more you think about this truth, the more you will find yourself choosing trust over worry.
Soul food: Gen 47-49; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 145:14-21; Prov 4:23-24
2023-02-14
Romeine 5:3 NLV
Viktor Frankl is tydens die Tweede Wêreldoorlog na ‘n Nazi konsentrasiekamp gestuur. Die wagte daar het hom van alles ontneem. Hulle het sy vrou, sy familie en sy klere weggevat. Hulle het selfs sy trouring gesteel. Hy het egter een ding gehad wat niemand by hom kon wegneem nie. Hy het geskryf: ‘Die laaste van menslike vryhede is die vermoë om ‘n mens se houding in ‘n gegewe stel omstandighede te kies.’ Die wagte kon nie Frankl se vryheid om sy houding te kies van hom wegneem nie.
Ons weet nie wat more, of selfs vandag, gaan gebeur nie. Ons kan nie ons omstandighede beheer nie, maar ons kan ons reaksie daarop beheer. Ons kan beheer of ‘n ervaring ons sterker of swakker gaan maak, ons geloof of ons vrees gaan vermeerder, of dit ons ‘n beter of ‘n bitter persoon gaan maak. Daar is ‘n gesegde wat sê: ‘Dieselfde sonskyn wat die botter laat smelt, verhard die klei.’ God wil hê dat ons moeilikhede ons moet versterk.
Paulus skryf: ‘…ons jubel selfs in ons swaarkry, want ons besef dat die swaarkry ons leer om te volhard. Op sy beurt kweek volharding betroubaarheid van karakter; en betroubaarheid van karakter versterk ons toekomsverwagting. En hierdie toekomsverwagting sal ons nie teleurstel nie, want ons weet hoe lief God ons het. Hy het sy liefde mos in ons harte uitgestort deur sy Heilige Gees wat Hy aan ons gegee het’ (verse 3-5 NLV).
Hier is nog ‘n belangrike gedagte – die toetse en beproewings waardeur ons in hierdie lewe gaan, is wat ons bekwaam maak om in die volgende lewe saam met Christus te heers en te regeer. Hierdie wete sal jou help om op die regte manier te reageer!
Sielskos: Ef 5:21-33; Hoog 2:1-7; Ps 45; Spr 5:15-19
Romans 5:3 NLT
In World War II, Viktor Frankl was sentenced to a Nazi concentration camp. The guards deprived him of everything. They took his wife, his family, his clothes. They even stole his wedding ring. But he had one thing no one could take from him. In a classic book, he wrote, “The last of human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” The guards could not take from Frankl his freedom to choose his attitude.
We do not know what is going to occur tomorrow, or even today. We can’t control all our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them. We can control whether an experience makes us stronger or weaker, increases our faith or our fear, makes us a better person or a bitter person. The saying goes: “The same sunshine that melts the butter hardens the clay.” God wants our struggles to strengthen us.
Paul writes: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation [deliverance]. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (vv. 3-5 NLT).
And here is another thought – a very important one. The tests and trials we go through in this life are what qualify us to rule and reign with Christ in the next life. Knowing that will help you to respond the right way!
Soul food: Eph 5:21-33; S of Sol 2:1-7; Ps 45; Prov 5:15-19
