2025-05-24
Revelation 4:10 NKJV
When we try to impress the people, we consider to be important, we become trophy collectors. “I’m more important because I know this famous person” is how our thinking goes. And all kinds of objects can become trophies: our grades in school, the houses we live in, people we have impressed, our looks, clothing brands, compliments, and promotions. There are even websites you can visit to look for a trophy wife – a woman whose beauty is a tribute to her husband’s wealth and influence.
A trophy is anything you own that causes other people to look at you and say, “Wow!” But living for trophies leaves you empty, unhappy, and tired. They bring a momentary happiness that can be addictive, but the enjoyment always dwindles. It’s notable that in heaven, when images like crowns are used, instead of wearing them, people are casting them at the Lord’s feet. When you give the triumph, admiration, and honour away, they bring you joy. When you collect them, they dull, fade, and become a burden.
That’s why the Bible says: “The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever…and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created'” (vv. 10-11 NKJV).
Anything good you have, anything good you are, and anything good you will receive in the future all come from God. So, be sure to give God all the glory.
Soul food: 1 Ki 18:16-20:43; Mark 9:38-50; Ps 113; Prov 12:15-17
2025-05-23
Lukas 6:45 NLV
Dink jy aan jouself as iemand wat geloof in God het? Reflekteer jou gedagtes en woorde dit? Ons kan onsself mislei deur te dink dat ons groot geloof het, maar wanneer uitdagings ons maklik verslaan, is ons geloof dalk nie so groot soos wat ons dink nie. Jesus het gesê: ‘…Wat ook al in jou hart leef, bepaal wat jy sê.’ Jy kan baie van jouself leer deur te luister na dit wat jy sê. Wys jou gedagtes en woorde jou afhanklikheid van God; dat sy vermoë, nie joune nie, jou in staat stel om te doen wat nodig is?
Om jou woorde reg te kry, moet jy jou hart regkry. Om dit te doen, moet jy jou gedagtes in lyn met God se Woord bring. Dit beteken dat jy gewillig moet wees om enigiets wat Hy jou wil wys in die gesig te staar en Hom te vra om jou te verander. As jy op jou eie krag vertrou, begin eerder om op God te vertrou. As jy probeer om dinge deur jou eie vermoë aan te pak en geïrriteerd raak, vra God dat Hy deur jou moet werk en sy bekwaamheid moet toelaat om joune te wees. Paulus skryf: ‘Nie dat ons op eie houtjie iets kan bedink asof dit ons eie breinkind is nie. Ons bekwaamheid kom van God’ (2 Korintiërs 3:5 NLV).
Jou woorde dra krag, moet dus nie laat hulle jou belemmer nie. Staan eerder op die volgende Skrifgedeelte: ‘En God is in staat om aan julle elke gawe in oorvloed te gee sodat julle in elke opsig altyd van alles genoeg kan hê én ook nog oorvloedig kan wees in elke goeie werk’ (2 Korintiërs 9:8 NLV). Wanneer jy praat, stem altyd met God se Woord ooreen.
Sielskos: 1 Kon 16:1-18:15; Mark 9:30-37; Ps 108; Spr 12:14
Luke 6:45 NIV
Do you think of yourself as a person who has faith in God? Do your thoughts and words reflect that? We can deceive ourselves into thinking we have great faith, but if challenges easily defeat us, then maybe our faith isn’t as great as we thought it was. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” You can learn a lot about yourself by listening to what you say. Do your thoughts and words show your dependence on God, recognizing that His abilities, not yours, enable you to do anything you need to do?
To get your words right, you must get your heart right. And to do that, you must line your thinking up with God’s Word. That means being willing to face anything He wants to show you and asking Him to change you. If you’re trusting in your own strength, start trusting God instead. If you’re attempting to do things through your own abilities and becoming irritated, let God know that you want Him to work through you, and allow His sufficiency to be yours. Paul writes, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 NKJV).
Your words are like containers, so don’t fill them with things that disable you. Instead, stand on this Scripture: “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV). When you speak, always agree with God’s Word.
Soul food: 1 Ki 16:1-18:15; Mark 9:30-37; Ps 108; Prov 12:14
2025-05-22
Filippense 2:4 NLV
Jy kan leer om lief te hê deur liefdevolle gedagtes te dink. Jy doen dit deur op iemand anders se behoeftes, pyne, moeilikhede, doelwitte en begeertes, eerder as jou eie, te fokus. Daar is ‘n ou gesegde wat lui: ‘Dis makliker om iemand te verstaan wanneer jy ‘n myl in sy skoene geloop het.’ Mense wat seer het, is geneig om ander mense seer te maak. Hoe kan jy hulle liefhê? Deur verby hulle foute te kyk en hulle behoeftes raak te sien.
Die mense vir wie dit die moeilikste is om lief te wees, is dikwels die mense wat liefde die meeste nodig het. Die mense wat sal verkies dat jy hulle ignoreer, is die einste mense wat groot dosisse liefde nodig het. As ‘n persoon nie liefde kan kry nie, sal hulle aandag soek. As hulle nie positiewe aandag kan kry nie, sal hulle werk daarvan maak om negatiewe aandag aan te trek. Hulle sê in werklikheid: ‘Ek sal op een of ander manier raakgesien word.’
Maak liefde die meester van jou wil, nie die slaaf van jou emosies nie. Ons kan nie ons gevoelens verander nie, maar ons kan ons gedagtes verander. Wanneer ons die manier waarop ons aan iemand dink verander, sal ons stadig maar seker ons gevoelens oor hulle verander. Wanneer jy eerder oor ‘n persoon se behoeftes as hul foute begin dink, sal dit die manier wat jy oor hulle voel, verander.
Jy vra: ‘Sal dit nie skynheilig wees indien ek liefdevol teenoor iemand optree van wie ek nie eens hou nie?’ Nee, dit word liefde deur geloof genoem. Wanneer jy deur geloof liefhet, spoor jou optrede jou aan om die regte manier teenoor daardie persoon te voel. Probeer dit en vind vir jouself uit of dit werk!
Sielskos: 1 Kon 14-15; Mark 9:14-29; Ps 101; Spr 12:12-13
Philippians 2:4 NLT
You can learn to love by thinking loving thoughts. By focusing on the other person’s needs, pains, difficulties, goals, and desires, not just your own. The old Indian saying goes, “It’s easier to understand someone when you walk a mile in their moccasins.” Hurting people tend to hurt other people. If someone is hurting you, that person may be doing so because they are hurting. How can you love them? By looking beyond their faults and seeing their needs.
The least lovable people are often those who need love the most. The people we would prefer to ignore are the very ones who need huge doses of love. If a person can’t find love, they will seek attention. And if they can’t obtain positive attention, they will work at attracting negative attention. Unintentionally they are saying, “I will be noticed, one way or another.”
Make love the master of your will, not the slave of your emotions. We can’t change our feelings, but we can change our thoughts. When we change how we think about someone, we will steadily change our feelings about that person. When rather than thinking about a person’s faults, we start thinking about their needs, it will change the way we feel.
You say, “If I act lovingly toward someone I don’t even like, wouldn’t that be hypocritical?” No, it’s called “loving by faith.” When you love by faith, you act yourself into feeling the right way toward that person. Try it and find out for yourself!
Soul food: 1 Ki 14-15; Mark 9:14-29; Ps 101; Prov 12:12-13
