June 2019 - The Word for Today
Proverbs 27:19 TLV
The kind of person you are is reflected in the friends you pick. So if your life is unproductive and stagnant, look at the people you’ve surrounded yourself with. Friendships, good and bad, indicate the direction you’re going. “Whoever walks with wise people will be wise, but whoever associates with fools will suffer” (Proverbs 13:20 GWT). Misery loves company, so steer clear of negative thinkers. It’s better to travel alone than spend your life listening to people who drag you down. When you come into agreement with the right people, you “can accomplish more than twice as much” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 TLB). Author John Mason writes: “The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. The right friends and associations bring out the original in you. You know the kind of people I’m talking about. After you’ve been with them you find yourself less critical, full of faith, and with a vision for the future. The Devil doesn’t [generally] use strangers to deter or stop you…your friends will either stretch your vision or choke your dream. As you grow in God, your associations will change. Some friends won’t want you to go on; they’ll want you to stay where they are. But as Edwin Louis Cole observed, ‘When you let someone else create your world for you…they always make it too small.’ Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. Respect those whom God has connected to you to help you. God cares for people through people…and wise is the person who fortifies their life with the right friendships.”
Soul food: Ps 23; John 10:7-18
Dis aansteeklik (1)
1 Korintiërs 15:33 NLV
Dis nie net verkoue- en griepvirusse wat aansteeklik is nie; houdings is ook: ‘…slegte geselskap bederf goeie gewoontes.’ Navorsers noem dit ’emosionele besmetting’ en dit affekteer elke aspek van die lewe, soos ‘n vrot appel die hele krat besmet. ‘n Verhoudingskenner sê: ‘Een negatiewe werknemer kan die hele span besoedel en ‘n giftige werksomgewing skep. Een negatiewe leier kan die werk vir sy of haar span ellendig maak. ‘n Werknemer in ‘n slegte bui kan ontelbare kliënte afskrik. Mense wat die heeltyd kla is soos ‘n kanker wat deur die hele organisasie trek en wat die moraal en uitsette van spanne met groot talent en potensiaal, saboteer. Jy is nie net ‘n skepping van jou omgewing nie, jy skep ook elke dag jou omgewing deur jou gedagtes, oortuigings en optrede. Jy kan op ‘n negatiewe manier aansteeklik wees, of op ‘n positiewe manier. Jy kan ‘n kiem wees wat jou organisasie se immuunstelsel aanval, of dit soos ‘n dosis vitamiene C versterk. Jou emosies het ‘n uitwerking op die wêreld rondom jou.’ Paulus sê: ‘…[julle moet] die ou sondige mens soos vuil klere… uittrek… Julle moet op ‘n nuwe, geestelike manier leer dink’ (Efesiërs 4:22-23 NLV). Hoe doen jy dit? Deur God te vra om jou ‘…’n ander mens…’ (1 Samuel 10:6 NLV), te maak en jou houding van ‘n negatiewe een na ‘n positiewe een te verander, wat die mense rondom jou elke dag positief beïnvloed. Wees terselfdertyd selektief oor die geselskap waarin jy jou bevind. Jy weet uit ondervinding wie die mense is wat jou aftrek en jou energie dreineer. Bid vir hulle, maar spandeer mimimale tyd in hulle geselskap.
Sielskos: Jer 33:1-36:26; Matt 5:1-20; Ps 102:1-11; Spr 15:1-2
Cold and flu viruses aren’t the only things that are contagious; attitudes are also: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Researchers call it “emotional contagion,” and it affects every aspect of life in the same way a rotten apple corrupts the whole bushel. A relationship expert says: “One negative employee can pollute an entire squad and create a toxic work environment. One negative leader can make work miserable for his or her team. An employee in a bad mood can turn off countless customers. Complaining can act like a cancer and spread through the entire organization, sabotaging the morale and performance of teams with great talent and potential. You’re not just a creation of your culture…you’re creating it every day through your thoughts, beliefs, and actions…you can be negatively or positively contagious. You can be a germ and attack your organization’s immune system, or act like a dose of vitamin C and strengthen it…your emotions impact the world around you.” Paul says, “Put off your old self…be made new in the attitude of your minds” (Ephesians 4:22-23 NIV). How? By asking God to make you “a different person” (1 Samuel 10:6 NIV), and changing your attitude from one of negative contagion to one that positively impacts the people you deal with every day. At the same time, be selective about the company you keep. You know from experience the people who drag you down and drain your energy. Pray for them, but minimize the time you spend in their company.
Soul food: Jer 33:1-36:26; Matt 5:1-20; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 15:1-2
Wees met net die beste tevrede
Psalm 33:2-3 NLV
Wanneer dit by jou Godgegewe talente kom, beteken om met ‘vaardigheid te speel’ dat jy dit goed doen en uitnemendheid nastreef. Een skrywer stel dit so: ‘Daar is ‘n merkwaardige verskil tussen 99 persent en 100 persent toewyding. Teen 100 persent sien jy al jou probleme tot die oplossing daarvan toe deur. Met 99 persent kan jy steeds ‘n manier vind om die pad van die minste weerstand te volg. Ons lewe in ‘n kultuur waar uitnemendheid die uitsondering op die reël is, maar God se Woord sê: ‘…Nee, laat God julle van binne af nuutmaak. Laat Hy julle manier van dink verander sodat julle kan weet wat Hy van julle verwag…’ (Romeine 12:2 DB). Jy moet gewillig wees om die prys te betaal, wat die volgende is: ‘Almal wat aan ‘n wedstryd deelneem, ontsê hulleself allerlei dinge. Hulle doen dit om ‘n verganklike oorwinnaarskroon te verkry, maar ons ‘n onverganklike’ (1 Korintiërs 9:25 AFR83). Mense sal jou karakter volgens die hoogte van jou ideale, die breedte van jou medelye, die diepte van jou oortuigings en die lengte van jou volharding beoordeel. Benader elke taak met die denke hoe jy dit beter kan doen.’ As jy goed met syfers is, blink dan as ouditeur uit. As jy ‘n vaardige kommunikeerder is, wees die beste onderwyser wat jy kan wees. As jy mense kan inspireer, wees die beste moontlike leier. ‘n Voormalige president van Yale Universiteit merk op dat Hamlet nooit deur ‘n komitee geskryf kon word, of Mona Lisa deur ‘n span geskilder kon word, of die Nuwe Testament deur ‘n konferensie geskryf kon word nie. Kreatiewe idees kom gewoonlik van individue af. Die wonderlike feit van die lewe is dat wanneer jy weier om met minder as die beste tevrede te wees, ontvang jy dit gewoonlik!
Sielskos: Jer 31-32; Matt 4:12-25; Ps 98; Spr 14:34-35
Second, let it in. The word “meditate” means “to ponder, ruminate, or examine attentively.” So don’t just read the Scriptures, thoroughly digest them. Pray, “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions” (Psalm 119:18 NLT). You can read a Scripture dozens of times and suddenly see something you’ve never seen before. The idea is to train your mind to see things from God’s viewpoint. Mark Twain said the two best days in a person’s life are the day they’re born, and the day they discover why they’re born. And the only person who can tell you that, is your Creator. Third, live it out. “Be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8 NIV). Yes, study the Bible, meditate on the Bible, and even memorize the Bible. But if you want to find success in life you must obey the Bible. You must translate truth into action. No one can guarantee you success except God – and that guarantee is found in reading, meditating, and obeying His Word. Value and worth are directly related to purpose. A car that won’t run is worthless. A pen that won’t write is useless. Likewise, if you are going to be what you need to be, you need to find your purpose in life and fulfill it. At death, your fame and fortune will not matter. The thing of eternal value will be your answer to this question: “Did I live my life in the presence of God and for His purpose?” C. S. Lewis put it this way: “He who has God and everything, has no more than the person who has God alone.”
Soul food: Jer 25-27; Matt 2:16-3:10; Ps 64; Prov 14:25-28