2025-08-05
Romans 12:10 NKJV
One of the real tests of character and maturity is how you react to someone else’s success. That’s particularly so when they succeed in an area where you failed or in which you’re frustrated over not having achieved greater success.
F. B. Meyer, a well-known author and minister in England, once shared the following experience to a few of his friends: “It was easy to pray for the success of G. Campbell Morgan when he was in America. But when he came back to England and took a church near to mine, it was something different. The old Adam in me was inclined to jealousy, but I got my heel upon his head, and whether I felt right toward my friend, I determined to act right. My church gave a reception for him, and I acknowledged that if it was not necessary for me to preach Sunday evenings, I would dearly love to go and hear him myself. Well, that made me feel right toward him. But just see how the dear Lord helped me out of my difficulty. There was Charles Spurgeon preaching wonderfully on one side of me, and G. Campbell Morgan on the other. Both were so popular and drew such crowds that our church caught the overflow, and we had all we could accommodate.”
No matter how well you do something, someone else will come along and do it better. So, here are your options: Compare yourself to them, compete with them, criticize them, compliment, and cooperate with them. The latter is what Paul meant when he wrote, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another” (v. 10 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Pet 1-5; Matt 14:22-36; Ps 119:25-32; Pro 17:11-15
Romeine 12:10 NLV
Een van die ware toetse van karakter en volwassenheid is hoe jy op iemand anders se sukses reageer. Dis veral waar wanneer hulle in ‘n area waarin jy misluk het of gefrustreerd is omdat jy nie groter sukses behaal het nie, presteer.
F.B. Meyer, ‘n bekende skrywer en dominee in Engeland, het een keer die volgende ervaring gedeel: ‘Dit was maklik om vir G. Campbell Morgan se sukses te bid terwyl hy in Amerika was. Toe hy egter na Engeland terugkeer en by ‘n kerk naby myne begin preek het, was dit egter ‘n ander storie. Ek het my jaloesie onderdruk en was vasbeslote om reg teenoor my vriend op te tree. My kerk het ‘n onthaal vir hom gereël en ek het erken dat indien dit nie nodig vir my was om die Sondagaand te preek nie, ek graag na hom sou wou gaan luister. My optrede teenoor hom het dus vir my reg gevoel. Die liewe Here het my egter uit my moeilikheid gehelp. Charles Spurgeon het by die kerk aan die een kant van my kerk gepreek, en G. Campbell Morgan het by die kerk aan die ander kant van myne gepreek. Hulle was beide so populêr en het sulke groot skares gelok dat ons kerk die oorloop van mense kon bedien. Ons kerk was propvol.’
Maak nie saak hoe goed jy iets doen nie, daar sal altyd iemand anders opdaag wat dit beter doen. Hier is dus jou opsies: Vergelyk jouself met hulle, kompeteer met hulle, kritiseer hulle of komplimenteer hulle en werk saam met hulle. Dis wat Paulus bedoel het toe hy geskryf het: ‘As broers en susters in God se huisgesin moet julle mekaar in liefde koester en voor in die ry staan om mekaar met respek te hanteer’ (vers 10 NLV).
Sielskos: 1 Pet 1-5; Matt 14:22-36; Ps 119:25-32; Spr 17:11-15
2025-08-04
Handelinge 26:16 NLV
In bofbal probeer die vanger die kolwer se aandag aftrek. By een geleentheid, toe dit Yogi Berra se beurt was om te vang, het Hank Aaron opgedaag om te kolf. Yogi het begin: ‘Hank, jy hou die kolf verkeerd vas. Die woorde op die kolf moet na jou kant toe kyk.’ Yogi het aangehou: ‘Jy beter seker maak jy hou die kolf reg vas. Jy moet die woorde op die kolf kan lees.’ Hank het nie ‘n woord gesê nie. Hy het net die volgende bal oor die middelveldheining geslaan. Hy het rondom die basisse gehardloop, die tuisbasis bereik en na Yogi Berra gekyk en gesê: ‘Ek het nie hierheen gekom om te lees nie, ek het gekom om te wen.’
Dit is noodsaaklik om te weet hoekom jy hier is. Deesdae sê mense dat hulle hulself probeer vind. So ‘n soektog is nutteloos. Soos een pastoor sê: ‘As jy nie weet wie jy is nie, hoe weet jy waarna om te soek? Hoe sal jy weet wanneer jy dit gekry het, aangesien jy nie weet waarna jy soek nie? Broodroosters vind nie hulself nie. ‘n Broodrooster moet eenvoudig net doen wat die vervaardiger vir hom in gedagte gehad het.’
Paulus het ‘n bonatuurlike ervaring op die Damaskuspad gehad toe Christus vir hom gesê het: ‘…Ek het juis hiervoor aan jou verskyn om jou as my dienskneg en getuie aan te stel. Jy moet vertel hoedat jy My gesien het en van wat Ek jou nog sal laat sien’ (vers 16 NLV). Om jou lewensdoel te vind, moet jy met God as jou verwysingspunt begin. Hy het jou gemaak; Hy het jou verlos; Hy het ‘n plan vir jou lewe – en Hy sal dit aan jou openbaar.
Sielskos: Deut 32:29-34:12; Matt 14:13-21; Ps 119:17-24; Spr 17:7-10
Acts 26:16 NKJV
In baseball, the catcher tries to distract the batter. On one occasion when Yogi Berra was behind the plate, Hank Aaron came up to bat. Yogi started in, “Hank, you’ve got the writing on the bat in the wrong place. The words should be facing you.” Yogi kept going, “You better check it.” Hank didn’t say a word. On the next pitch, Hank hit the ball over the centre field fence. He rounded the bases, stepped on home plate, looked at Yogi Berra, and said, “I didn’t come here to read, I came to win.”
It’s vital to know why you are here and not to let anyone talk you out of your calling or purpose. In the world today, people say they are trying to find themselves. Such a search is pointless. As one pastor states: “If you don’t know who you are, how do you know what to look for? And how would you know when you have found it, since you don’t know what you are looking for? Toasters don’t find themselves… A toaster… just [has] to do what the manufacturer had in mind.”
Paul had a supernatural encounter on the Damascus road when Christ said to him, “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you” (v. 16 NKJV). To discover your life’s purpose, you must start with God as your reference point. He made you; He redeemed you; He has a plan for your life – and He will reveal it to you.
Soul food: Deut 32:29-34:12; Matt 14:13-21; Ps 119:17-24; Pro 17:7-10
2025-08-03
John 5:6 NIV
What an amazing question Jesus asked this paralyzed man: “Do you want to get well?” Who wouldn’t? You might be surprised! Kay Arthur tells of passing a beggar one day on a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. As he sat begging, his trouser leg was pulled up to reveal his terrible sores.
She writes: “My nurse’s heart brought my feet to a halt. I wanted to bend down and shield the open wound from the dust… It should be washed, medicated, and dressed by someone who cared. My friend gently took me by my elbow and propelled me toward our destination. I was a tourist and did not know about these things. She then proceeded to tell me that this man did not wish to be made well. He made his living from his wound! As I looked back… I caught one last glimpse of someone who was less than what he could have been.”
The man lying helpless on a cot by the pool called Bethesda had been there for thirty-eight years. Question: How long does it take before a problem becomes a way of life? Jesus said to him, “Get up… and walk” (v. 8 NIV), the inference being that it’s time to get up and go to work – to become a father to your children, a husband to your wife, a contributor to your community, a solution to someone else’s problem – it’s time to take responsibility for your life.
Are you letting your past or present circumstances keep you stuck and stop you from moving forward? If Jesus asked you, “Do you want to get well emotionally, physically, and spiritually?” what would your answer be? Today let Jesus make you whole!
Soul food: 1 Sam 17:4-51; Eph 6:10-18
