2025-03-26
Proverbs 19:2 NLT
If you are impulsive, you tend to lack discipline. You can be thoughtless, or insensitive to others, or driven by appetite. You may have a hard time with delayed gratification. You have a low frustration tolerance. You get bored easily. You can fly off the handle. If this describes you, here are six principles you should try to incorporate into your life:
(1) Ask counsel from wise friends before plunging forward with an idea. “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15 NKJV).
(2) Cultivate friendships with people who are not only wise but strong enough to hold you accountable. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16 KJV).
(3) Spend time praying about a potential open door before assuming that your intuition is a divine command. “He shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way” (Psalm 25:8-9 NLT).
(4) Study and read about an area of need before you commit yourself to action. “Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps” (Proverbs 14:15 NLT).
(5) When you come to the end of a season of activity, spend some time in reflection so that you can become a wiser person before you go on to the next thing. “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT).
(6) Make a commitment and stick with it, even when the next impulse, which looks so much more fun, comes along.
Soul food: Est 5-10; Luke 20:1-8; Ps 18:1-29; Prov 26:24-27
Spreuke 19:2 NLV
As jy impulsief is, neig jy om ‘n tekort aan dissipline te hê. Jy kan onnadenkend of onsensitief teenoor ander wees. Jy mag dit dalk moeilik vind wanneer jy nie onmiddellike bevrediging kry nie. Jy het ‘n lae verdraagsaamheid teenoor frustrasie. Jy raak maklik verveeld. Jy kan vinnig op jou perdjie spring. Indien dit jou beskryf, is hier ses beginsels wat jy in jou lewe moet probeer inkorporeer:
1) Vra raad by wyse vriende voor jy met ‘n idee voortgaan. “‘n Mens met insig kry steeds meer kennis. Wyse mense hou altyd hulle ore oop vir nog meer kennis” (Spreuke 18:15 NLV).
2) Bou vriendskappe met mense wat nie net wys is nie, maar ook sterk genoeg is om jou verantwoordbaar te hou. ‘Daarom moet julle julle sondes teenoor mekaar bely en vir mekaar bid sodat julle gesond kan word…’ (Jakobus 5:16 NLV).
3) Neem tyd om oor ‘n potensiële oop deur te bid, moenie aanneem dat jou intuïsie ‘n goddelike opdrag is nie. ‘…Hy wys vir sondaars die regte pad. Hy lei die nederiges op die regte weg, en vir dié wat beskeie is, leer Hy sy pad’ (Psalm 25:8-9 NLV).
4) Bestudeer en lees op oor ‘n area voordat jy tot aksie oorgaan. “‘n Dwaas glo alles wat hy hoor. ‘n Verstandige mens oorweeg elke tree wat hy gee” (Spreuke 14:15 NLV).
5) Wanneer jy aan die einde van ‘n seisoen van aktiwiteit kom, neem tyd om daaroor te reflekteer, sodat jy ‘n wyser persoon kan word voor jy na die volgende ding aanbeweeg. ‘Getroue werk lewer wins op. Afskeepwerk lei tot gebrek’ (Spreuke 21:5 NLV).
6) Wy jouself aan iets toe en hou daarby, selfs wanneer die volgende impuls, wat soveel lekkerder lyk, verbykom.
Sielskos: Est 5-10; Luk 20:1-8; Ps 18:1-29; Spr 26:24-27
2025-03-25
1 John 4:17 NKJV
When you put your trust in Christ as your Saviour, God sees you “in Christ.” The words “in Christ” appear no less than seventy-eight times in the New Testament. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see you with all your flaws and imperfections; He sees you in Christ. And since Christ has atoned for all your sins, you are “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6 KJV).
Having a blessed future is not contingent upon how much you strive to be perfect or how hard you work at changing yourself. It is contingent upon the person of Jesus Christ, and the fact that you are in Christ. The Bible proclaims, “As He is, so are we in this world.” You say, “But surely you only get what you deserve?” That’s true, unless you are in Christ. Then you get what He deserves! “For He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).
The word “righteousness” is a legal term. It means “to have right standing before God.” Vine’s An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words defines righteousness as “that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God.” In other words, your right standing before God is based on Jesus’ right standing before God. You should be glad about that. Why? Because the only righteousness that measures up to God’s exacting standard of perfection is the righteousness of Christ. And since you are clothed in His righteousness, you can be confident of God’s acceptance and walk in His blessing each day.
Soul food: Est 1-4; Luke 19:45-48; Ps 69:19-36; Prov 8:30-31
1 Johannes 4:17 NLV
Wanneer jy jou vertroue in Christus as jou Redder plaas, sien God jou as ‘in Christus.’ Die woorde ‘in Christus’ word ongeveer agt-en-sewentig keer in die Nuwe Testament gebruik. Wanneer God na jou kyk, sien Hy jou nie met al jou foute en gebreke nie; Hy sien jou in Christus. Aangesien Christus vir al jou sonde versoening gedoen het, is jy aanvaarbaar deur Hom (sien Efesiërs 1:6 NLV).
‘n Geseënde toekoms hang nie af van hoeveel jy daarna streef om perfek te wees of hoe hard jy werk om jouself te verander nie. Dit hang van die persoon van Jesus Christus en die feit dat jy in Christus is, af. Die Bybel verkondig: ‘…Want dan sal ons ook in hierdie wêreld wees soos Hý is.’ Jy sê: ‘Maar sekerlik kry jy net wat jy verdien?’ Dis waar, tensy jy in Christus is. Dan kry jy wat Hy verdien! ‘God het Hom wat nie sonde geken het nie, sonde gemaak ter wille van ons sodat ons, op grond van ons eenheid met Christus, deur God vrygespreek kan word’ (2 Korintiërs 5:21 NLV).
Die woord ‘geregtigheid’ is ‘n wetlike term. Dit beteken ‘om reg voor God te hê.’ Vine se An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words definieer geregtigheid as ‘daardie genadige gawe van God aan mense waardeur almal wat in die Here Jesus Christus glo, in ‘n regte verhouding met God gebring word.’ Met ander woorde, jou regte posisie voor God is op Jesus se regte posisie voor God gebaseer. Jy moet bly wees daaroor. Hoekom? Omdat die enigste geregtigheid wat aan God se veeleisende standaard van volmaaktheid voldoen, die geregtigheid van Christus is. Aangesien jy in sy geregtigheid geklee is, kan jy seker wees van God se aanvaarding en elke dag in sy seën wandel.
Sielskos: Est 1-4; Luk 19:45-48; Ps 69:19-36; Spr 8:30-31
2025-03-24
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
Your thoughts create your feelings, and your feelings dictate your approach to life. So by changing the way you think, you can change how you feel and how you approach life. Unlike the world, which teaches you to empty your mind to achieve peace, God’s way is to fill your mind with fresh, powerful, redeeming thoughts. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
It’s not just about trying to blot out bad thoughts with your willpower. If a wrong, bad, or negative thought is lodged in your mind today and you can’t seem to shake it, stop trying! That won’t erase it from your mind. That’s like cutting a weed off at ground level rather than uprooting it; it will just grow again. What you need to do is replace that wrong destructive thought with a thought that’s from God. That’s the only way to deal with wrong thoughts and begin the healing process. The apostle Paul writes: “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… Then the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9 NLT).
Are you concerned about your health? “Fix” your mind on this Scripture: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17 NKJV). Are you concerned about the future? “Fix” your mind on this promise: “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NKJV).
Soul food: Job 40-42; Luke 19:37-44; Ps 69:1-18; Prov 8:27-29
