2023-12-02
1 Corinthians 9:22 NLT
To influence someone, you must first connect with them. And to do that, you must look for common ground. Paul writes, “I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.”
In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases Paul’s words: “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized – whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ – but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” (vv. 19-23 MSG).
Note the words “I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.” When it came to preaching the truth, Paul wouldn’t yield an inch. But when it came to reaching and influencing people for Christ, he tried to remove every roadblock between them and Christ. And you must be willing to do the same. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. That’s why you must approach them heart-first, not headfirst. Before someone can receive the truth you have to share, they must be convinced that you love and care for them. And that means finding common ground.
Soul food: 2 Chron 35-36; 2 John; John 13:1-17; Ps 14; Prov 28:13-16
1 Korintiërs 9:22 NLV
Om iemand te beïnvloed, moet jy eers ‘n konneksie met hulle maak. Om dit te kan doen, moet jy gemeenskaplike grond vind.
Paulus skryf: ‘Alhoewel ek dus teenoor niemand ‘n verpligting het nie – omdat hulle my nie vergoed nie – het ek myself aan almal diensbaar gemaak sodat ek soveel mense moontlik vir Christus kan wen. Onder die Jode het ek soos ‘n Jood geword om hulle vir Christus te wen. Alhoewel ek nie meer onder die wet staan nie, het ek vir hulle wat onder die wet staan, geword soos iemand onder die wet om hulle wat nog onder die wet staan, vir Christus te wen. Onder die nie-Jode wat God se wet nie ken nie, het ek geword soos iemand sonder die wet – alhoewel ek in werklikheid nie sonder God se wet is nie… Dit het ek gedoen om die nie-Jode vir Christus te wen. Vir die geringes het ek ‘n geringe geword om hulle vir Christus te wen. Ek het my met almal vereenselwig om sodoende tog sommige tot verlossing te bring. Al hierdie dinge het ek ter wille van die Goeie Nuus gedoen sodat ek ook aandeel aan sy seëninge kan verkry’ (verse 19-23 NLV).
Wanneer Paulus mense vir Christus wou bereik en beïnvloed, het hy probeer om elke blokkade tussen hulle en Christus te verwyder. Jy moet bereid wees om dieselfde te doen. Mense gee nie om hoeveel jy weet, totdat hulle weet hoeveel jy omgee nie. Daarom moet jy hulle hart eerste, nie kop eerste nie, benader. Voordat iemand die waarheid wat jy met hulle moet deel sal ontvang, moet hulle oortuig wees dat jy vir hulle lief is en omgee. Dit beteken dat jy gemeenskaplike grond moet vind.
Sielskos: 2 Kron 35-36; 2 Joh; Joh 13:1-17; Ps 14; Spr 28:13-16
2023-12-01
Psalm 48:9 KJV
Hopefully by now you are convinced that the power that comes from meditating on God’s Word is a power you need working in your life. But maybe you’re a beginner and you need a starting point. You’re thinking, “Yes, I know I need to spend more time meditating on God’s Word, but how do I do it? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
(1) Meditate on God’s blessings. “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV). Meditation leads to a thankful heart.
(2) Meditate on your relationship with God. “You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15-16 NKJV).
(3) Meditate on God’s love for you. “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:3-8 NKJV).
You can meditate on God’s promises to protect you, or guide you, or instruct you, or correct you, or bless you. The point is, you need to get started!
Soul food: 2 Chron 32-34; John 12:37-50; Ps 146; Prov 28:9-12
Psalm 48:10 NLV
Jy is hopelik teen hierdie tyd al oortuig dat die krag wat uit die meditering oor God se Woord spruit, ‘n krag is wat jy in jou lewe nodig het. Miskien is jy egter ‘n beginner en het ‘n beginpunt nodig. Jy dink: ‘Ja, ek weet ek moet meer tyd bestee om oor God se Woord te mediteer, maar hoe doen ek dit?’ Hier is ‘n paar idees om jou aan die gang te kry:
1) Mediteer oor God se seëning. ‘Ek wil die lof van die Here verkondig. Met alles wat binne-in my is, wil ek sy heilige Naam verheerlik. Ek wil die Here prys en nie sy goeie dade vergeet nie’ (Psalm 103:1-2 NLV). Meditasie lei tot ‘n dankbare hart.
2) Mediteer oor jou verhouding met God. ‘…Julle het die Gees van ware kindwees ontvang en deur hierdie Gees roep julle uit tot God: Abba – ons liewe Vader. Want die Gees self bevestig die getuienis van ons eie gees dat ons God se kinders is’ (Romeine 8:15-16 NLV).
3) Mediteer oor God se liefde vir jou. ‘U troue liefde is beter as die lewe; daarom prys ek U! Ek wil U prys so lank as wat ek lewe, en in u Naam my hande ophef. U versadig my meer as die rykste kos. Met vreugdeliedere sal ek U loof. As ek op my bed lê en aan U dink, oor U nadink in die nag, onthou ek hoe U my gehelp het. Dan wil ek sing in die skaduwee van u vleuels. Ek is aan U verbind, u regterhand hou my staande’ (Psalm 63:4-9 NLV).
Jy kan oor God se beloftes om jou te beskerm, of te lei, of te onderrig, of te korrigeer, of te seën, mediteer. Die punt is, jy moet begin!
Sielskos: 2 Kron 32-34; Joh 12:37-50; Ps 146; Spr 28:9-12
2023-11-30
Genesis 15:1 NKJV
When God gives you a vision for your life, He doesn’t give you all the details up front. He simply says, “Don’t be afraid; just do what I say, and I will guide you and prosper you.”
What did Abram’s vision involve? “The Lord said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation” (Genesis 12:1-2 CEV). How old was Abram? “Abram was seventy-five…when the Lord told him to leave the city of Haran” (Genesis 12:4 CEV). What was Abram leaving? “Abram was very rich…and had a lot of silver and gold” (Genesis 13:2 CEV). How did Abram respond? “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8 NKJV). Abraham couldn’t have told you where his final destiny was or how he would get there. He just knew God had told him to leave the safe harbor of where he was.
Understand this: What you’re willing to walk away from often determines what God can entrust to you. You say, “But I need to have more information.” You will know as you go! With each step of faith you take, God will reveal another detail. He will inform you on a “need-to-know” basis. So, is the God who said to Abram, “Go to the land that I will show you” saying something similar to you today? Don’t be afraid; just step out in faith and obey Him.
Soul food: 2 Chron 29-31; John 12:20-36; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 28:5-8
