2025-07-10
Philippians 2:4 NKJV
If you are in a position of leadership, try to be aware of how you respond to the feelings, thoughts, and opinions of those around you. What you say as a leader will resonate more deeply with people than what others say, so you must be sensitive to this. Even when someone offers an idea that you feel has no merit, resist the temptation to immediately dismiss it. A simple “Thank you for your input” is called for, not “No, that won’t work.”
When you’re dismissive toward someone, it sends this message: “I’m ignoring you and your idea. Your feelings and views don’t matter. Your concern is unimportant to me.” Spoken or unspoken, these statements hurt a person’s sense of value and need for respect. This is particularly true if the person thinks they have earned the right to special regard. The old saying is true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
When you’re dismissive toward others, they will find a way to display their irritation, and sometimes it’s in a way that can cost you dearly when it comes to fulfilling your vision. You can avoid this by becoming more aware of how you come across to others. The only solution to this problem is to step outside yourself, listen intently to others, and endeavour to understand and respectfully handle their concerns. You will gain great benefits if you do. “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Soul food: Acts 8-9; Matt 8:28-34; Ps 118:10-18; Pro 15:31-32
2025-07-09
John 8:12 NKJV
In his book Deep Thoughts, Jack Handey writes: “As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a bunch of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way.”
Many of us are waiting for the green light we have already been given. Jesus said, “He who follows Me shall… have the light of life.” When do insight, illumination, and direction come? When you take the first steps of faith. We are not advocating a thoughtless or prayerless approach to decision-making. You need to know that God is calling you. But you can be so afraid of doing the wrong thing that you never do the right thing. It’s wise to think and rethink, but not overthink. Over analysis results in spiritual paralysis.
A pastor explains: “If you try to logically figure out the will of God, you’ll never take a step of faith. Why? Because the will of God is not logical. It’s theological.” The word “theos” means “God.” So, “theological” denotes adding God into the equation. The pastor continues: “That’s why it doesn’t always add up on our human calculators. The promptings of the Holy Spirit won’t always make sense to your logical left brain. In fact, God ideas often seem like bad ideas. But that is when you need to allow the Holy Spirit to override your intellect.”
The disciples Jesus called did two things. They worked miracles, and they made mistakes. Had they been unwilling to make a mistake they would never have experienced the joy of working a miracle. So, go when the light is green.
Soul food: Acts 6-7; Matt 8:18-27; Ps 118:1-9; Pro 15:27-30
Johannes 8:12 NLV
In sy boek, Deep Thoughts, skryf Jack Handey: ‘Soos die lig van rooi na groen na geel en toe weer terug na rooi verander het, het ek daar gesit en oor die lewe nagedink. Was dit dan niks meer as ‘n klomp toeterende motors en geskreeu nie? Soms het dit so gevoel.’
Baie van ons wag vir die groen lig wat alreeds vir ons gegee is. Jesus het gesê ‘…Wie My aanhou volg… sal die lig hê wat lewe gee.’ Wanneer kry mens dan insig, duidelikheid en rigting? Wanneer jy die eerste tree in geloof neem. Ons beveel nie ‘n gedagtelose of gebedelose benadering tot besluitneming aan nie. Jy moet seker wees dat God jou roep. Jy kan egter so bang wees om die verkeerde ding te doen dat jy nooit die regte ding doen nie. Dit is wys om te dink en weer te dink, maar nie om te oordink nie. Oormatige ontleding lei tot geestelike verlamming.
‘n Pastoor verduidelik: ‘As jy probeer om die wil van God logies uit te redeneer, sal jy nooit ‘n geloofstap neem nie, omdat die wil van God nie logies is nie – dit is teologies.’ Die woord ‘theos’ beteken ‘God’, en dus dui ‘teologies’ daarop dat God in die vergelyking ingebring word. Die pastoor gaan voort: ‘Die aansporing van die Heilige Gees sal nie altyd vir jou logiese linkerbrein sin maak nie. Trouens, God-geïnspireerde idees lyk dikwels soos slegte idees. Juis dan moet jy toelaat dat die Heilige Gees jou intellek oorheers.’
Die dissipels wat Jesus geroep het, het twee dinge gedoen. Hulle het wonderwerke verrig en hulle het foute gemaak. As hulle onwillig was om ‘n fout te maak, sou hulle nooit die vreugde daarvan om wonderwerke te verrig, ervaar het nie. Gaan dus wanneer die lig groen word.
Sielskos: Hand 6-7; Matt 8:18-27; Ps 118:1-9; Spr 15:27-30
2025-07-08
Galatians 6:9 NKJV
One of the greatest predictors of success in any endeavour is persistence. It’s not only how hard you try; it’s how long you try. We tend to overestimate how much we can accomplish in the short term. And according to an American pastor and author, we also “underestimate how much we can accomplish over the long haul. Why? Because energy is exponential. The harder you work and the longer you work, the more it pays off. In a study involving Japanese and American first graders, kids were given a difficult puzzle to solve while researchers measured how long they would try before giving up. On average, the American children lasted 9.47 minutes. The Japanese children lasted 13.93 minutes. That is a 47 percent difference. Want to guess who scores higher on standardized math tests? Success in any endeavour is a by-product of trying harder and trying longer.
There are no substitutes. There are no shortcuts. It doesn’t matter whether it’s athletics or academics, music, or math [or ministry]. Study after study has shown that it takes about ten years or ten thousand hours to become great at anything. You need to work hard and work long. In the words of Malcolm Gladwell, ‘Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness.’ Are there any God ideas you’ve given up on? Any God-ordained passions that you have stopped fighting for? Any God-sized dreams gathering the dust of disobedience? Don’t give up on them. You need to try. Then you need to try harder. And then you need to try longer.”
Soul food: Acts 3:11-5:42; Matt 8:10-17; Ps 109:16-31; Pro 15:23-26
Galasiërs 6:9 NLV
Een van die grootste voorvereistes vir sukses is deursettingsvermoë. Dit gaan nie net oor hoe hard jy probeer nie; dit gaan oor hoe lank jy probeer. Ons is geneig om die hoeveelheid wat ons op die korttermyn kan bereik, te oorskat. Volgens ‘n Amerikaanse pastoor en skrywer onderskat ons egter: “…hoeveel ons oor die langtermyn kan bereik. Hoekom? Omdat energie eksponensieel is. Hoe harder jy werk en hoe langer jy werk, hoe meer vrugte werp dit af. In ‘n studie is aan Japannese en Amerikaanse kinders ‘n moeilike legkaart gegee om op te los, terwyl navorsers gemeet het hoe lank hulle sou probeer voordat hulle sou tou opgooi. Gemiddeld het die Amerikaanse kinders 9.47 minute lank probeer. Die Japannese kinders het 13.93 minute probeer. Dit is ‘n verskil van 47 persent. Wil jy probeer raai watter kinders beter op gestandaardiseerde wiskundetoetse presteer het? Sukses is ‘n neweproduk van harder en langer probeer.
Daar is geen plaasvervanger daarvoor nie. Daar is geen kortpaaie nie. Dit maak nie saak of dit atletiek, akademie, musiek of wiskunde [of die bediening] is nie. Studies het getoon dat dit ongeveer tien jaar of tienduisend uur neem om uitnemendheid in enigiets te bereik. Jy moet hard en lank daaraan werk. Soos Malcolm Gladwell dit stel: ‘Tienduisend uur is die towergetal vir uitnemendheid.’ Is daar enige God-geïnspireerde idees waaroor jy opgegee het? Enige God-gegewe passies waarvoor jy opgehou veg het? Enige God-gegewe groot drome wat weens ongehoorsaamheid stof vergader? Moenie tou opgooi nie. Jy moet probeer. Dan moet jy harder probeer. En dan moet jy langer probeer.”
Sielskos: Hand 3:11-5:42; Matt 8:10-17; Ps 109:16-31; Spr 15:23-26
