2025-07-02
Colossians 3:13 NIV
It’s impossible to love anyone fully and at the same time resent someone else. You cannot give total love when your heart is divided. And a bitter heart is a divided heart. You may be thinking, “My spouse is a wonderful person, but I just can’t love him.” Look beneath the surface. You may still be reacting to your past and harbouring resentment against someone who hurt you. That’s keeping you from loving your spouse. And it’s not fair to them.
Many people have justified cause for their anger. It’s said that one out of every three women and one out of every seven men will be abused during their lifetime. But you must let go of the past to get on with the present. To begin loving people, you must close the door on the past. And that cannot happen without forgiveness! So, forgive those who have hurt you – for your own sake, not because they deserve it. Do it so your heart can be whole again. The people from your past cannot hurt you unless you allow them to hurt you by holding resentment against them.
Anytime you resent someone, you give them a piece of your heart, a piece of your attention, a piece of your mind. Do you want that person to have that? No? Then take it back by forgiving. Instead of rehearsing the hurt over and over, release it. And you can’t be selective in what you forgive: “I will forgive that, but I won’t forgive this.” The Bible says, “Forgive… if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (v. 13 NIV).
Soul food: Jer 45-48; Matt 6:9-18; Ps 110; Pro 15:8-9
Kolossense 3:13 NLV
Dis onmoontlik om enigiemand ten volle lief te hê en terselfdertyd ‘n wrok teen iemand anders te koester. Jy kan nie totale liefde gee as jou hart verdeeld is nie. ‘n Bitter hart is ‘n verdeelde hart. Jy reageer dalk steeds op jou verlede en koester ‘n wrok teen iemand wat jou seergemaak het. Dit weerhou jou daarvan om jou geliefdes ten volle lief te hê. Dit is egter nie regverdig teenoor hulle nie.
Baie mense het geregverdigde redes vir hul woede. Daar word geskat dat een uit elke drie vroue en een uit elke sewe mans gedurende hul leeftyd mishandel sal word. Jy moet egter die verlede agterlaat om met die hede aan te gaan. Om mense lief te hê, moet jy die deur tot die verlede toemaak. Dit kan egter nie sonder vergifnis gebeur nie! Vergewe dus diegene wat jou seergemaak het – om jou eie onthalwe, nie omdat hulle dit verdien nie. Doen dit sodat jou hart weer heel kan word. Die mense in jou verlede kan jou nie meer seermaak nie, tensy jy hulle toelaat om dit te doen deur ‘n wrok teen hulle te koester.
Wanneer jy ‘n wrok teen iemand het, gee jy hulle ‘n deel van jou hart, ‘n deel van jou aandag en ‘n deel van jou gedagtes. Wil jy dit toelaat? Nie? Neem dan daardie dele van jouself terug deur te vergewe. In plaas daarvan om die seer oor en oor te herleef, laat dit gaan. Jy kan egter nie selektief wees oor wat jy vergewe nie: ‘Ek sal die vergewe, maar ek gaan nie dit vergewe nie.’ Die Bybel sê: ‘…as enigeen ‘n klagte teen iemand anders het, vergewe mekaar. Vergewe mekaar soos die Here julle vergewe het’ (vers 13 NLV).
Sielskos: Jer 45-48; Matt 6:9-18; Ps 110; Spr 15:8-9
2025-07-01
Luke 5:4 KJV
After Peter had fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets.” After explaining to Jesus that the fish weren’t biting, Peter said, “Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (v. 5). Notice an important detail here. When Jesus said, “Let down your nets,” Peter replied, “I will let down the net.” Apparently, Jesus had a bigger catch in mind than Peter! In fact, that night they caught so many fish their net broke because they couldn’t handle them.
When you think small, you prepare accordingly. Scripture describes God as “Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). As a child of God, you have within you the power to go beyond what you have already accomplished and do more than you ever dreamed possible.
What’s the problem? It’s this: You can have the right amount of power but lack preparation! To handle the pressures that accompany success, you must be prepared; otherwise, success can be your undoing. God says He is prepared to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings so great, you won’t have room enough to handle them (See Malachi 3:10).
The question is, are you preparing yourself for greater blessing or simply settling for the status quo? You say you want success on the job. So, are you sharpening your skills, intensifying your work ethic, and developing new ways of doing things? Are you teachable and open to working with others? In other words, are you preparing yourself?
Soul food: Jer 41-44; Matt 5:38-6:8; Ps 102:18-28; Pro 15:4-7
Lukas 5:4 AFR53
Nadat Petrus heelnag geen vis gevang het nie, het Jesus gesê: ‘…Vaar uit na die diep water en laat julle nette sak om te vang.’ Nadat hy aan Jesus verduidelik het dat die visse nie byt nie, het Petrus gesê: ‘…maar op u woord sal ek die net laat sak’ (vers 5 AFR53). Let hierdie belangrike detail op: Toe Jesus gesê het: ‘laat julle nette sak…’ het Petrus geantwoord: ‘op u woord sal ek die net laat sak.’ Blykbaar het Jesus ‘n groter vangs as Petrus in gedagte gehad! Hulle het inderwaarheid toe so baie vis gevang dat hulle net geskeur het.
Wanneer jy klein dink, berei jy jou daarvolgens voor. Die Skrif beskryf God as volg: ‘…Hy wat mag het om deur die krag wat in ons werk, oneindig meer te doen as wat ons vra of dink om te vra’ (Efesiërs 3:20 NLV). As kind van God, het jy binne jou die krag om verder te gaan as wat jy reeds bereik het en meer te doen as wat jy ooit gedroom het moontlik is.
Wat is egter die probleem? Die volgende: Jy kan die regte hoeveelheid krag hê, maar nie voorbereid daarvoor wees nie! Om die druk wat met sukses gepaard gaan te hanteer, moet jy daarop voorbereid wees; anders kan sukses jou ondergang beteken. God sê Hy is bereid om die vensters van die hemel oop te maak en voorspoed op jou te laat reën (sien Maleagi 3:10 NLV).
Die vraag is: berei jy jouself vir groter seën voor, of is jy met die status quo tevrede? Jy sê jy wil sukses by die werk behaal. Skerp jy dus jou vaardighede op, versterk jou werksetiek en ontwikkel nuwe maniere om dinge te doen? Met ander woorde, berei jy jouself voor?
Sielskos: Jer 41-44; Matt 5:38-6:8; Ps 102:18-28; Spr 15:4-7
2025-06-30
Philippians 2:14 KJV
Paul writes: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (vv. 14-15). What was the attitude that Paul zeroed in on? Murmuring! What was the solution? He shared it with the Thessalonian believers: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV). Instead of looking for things to gripe about, look for things to be grateful about because they’re all around you. If murmuring comes to you as easily as breathing, here are a few areas you need to pay attention to:
(1) Don’t take on more than you can handle. Say yes to requests for personal favours only when you want to or feel led by God. This will stop you from becoming overworked and resentful toward the responsibilities dumped on you by others.
(2) Limit your time around negative people. “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits'” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NKJV). Don’t get infected!
(3) Focus on other people’s needs. “With goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:7-8 NKJV). What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.
In addition to these three strategies for overcoming grumpiness, pray: “Father, deliver me from grumpiness. Reveal the root cause of it and give me courage to take the actions necessary to keep it out of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Soul food: Jer 36:27-40:16; Matt 5:21-37; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 15:3
