“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39 (LB)
If you want your life to count, you have to focus it. You don’t have time for everything, and not everything is of equal value. Matthew 22:36-39 says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself’” (LB). Jesus said there are two things that are more valuable in life than anything else: loving God and loving each other. Have you ever wondered why God didn’t just take you to Heaven when he created you? Why did he put you on Earth? You’re only here for 100 years at the most, and you’re going to live for eternity in Heaven or Hell. Why didn’t God just take everybody to Heaven? The Bible is very clear that God put you here on Earth to do two things: to learn to love God and to learn to love other people. Life is not about acquisition, accomplishment, or achievement. It’s not about all the things the world tells you it’s about. You’re not taking your career to Heaven. You’re not taking your car to Heaven. You’re not taking your house to Heaven. But you are taking your character. You’re taking you. God put you on Earth for 80 to 100 years so you can learn to love him with all your heart and learn to love others. Life is one giant lesson in love. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)
It’s easy to go through life thinking that we’re average; we’re ordinary. “There’s nothing special about me. I’m just one of the six billion people on earth.” No, when God created you, He put a part of Himself in you. You could say that you have the DNA of Almighty God. You are destined to do great things, destined to leave your mark on this generation. The truth is, there is nothing average about you; but too many times we don’t realize who we are. We focus on our weaknesses or what we don’t have. We focus on the mistakes we’ve made or the family from which we’ve come. We end up settling for mediocrity when we were created for greatness! If you’re going to break out of average, you need to remind yourself every day, “I have the DNA of the Most High God. Greatness is in my genes. I come from a bloodline of champions.” If you’ll have the attitude of a champion, you’ll live the life of a champion and boldly embrace the blessings He has in store for you! Father, thank You for preparing me to do the good works You have prepared. I am not average. I am not ordinary. I am created for greatness, and I belong to Almighty God. Thank You for Your faithfulness in Jesus’ name! Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen John 10:4 NIV Knowing God's Voice
Here are seven occasions when knowing God's voice is all-important: 1) Hearing from God before you entertain the ideas of others. Why? Because their ideas are not His commands. Don't make commitments and end up bound by promises you can't keep. You must love others, but be led only by God's Spirit. 2) Hearing from God before you listen to the complaints of others. Why? Because you are not responsible for their happiness. Your need to 'fix' others in order to feel good about yourself is called 'co-dependency'. Give them to God! 3) Hearing from God before you consider the needs of others. Why? Because their needs are driving them; only the plan of God should be leading you. 4) Hearing from God before you respond to the requests of others. Why? Because you must discern what's behind their requests. Check the soil before you sow your seed. 5) Hearing from God before you share your dream with others. Why? Because it's not enough to have a dream, you must have a team. You need people to help you, cheer you on and lift you to a higher level. The right people motivate you to grow stronger, think better, work harder and risk more. They compel you to continue! 6) Hearing from God before you seek the approval of others. Why? Because people with an agenda will flatter and manipulate you. Hearing God's voice will keep you from falling into their trap. 7) Hearing from God before you make significant changes. Why? Because it's not your job to decide what God wants you to do, but to discover it and do it. Soul food: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Mark 6:30-44 Afrikaans Johannes 10:4 NV Hoe om God se stem te ken Daar is sewe geleenthede wanneer jy na God se stem moet luister: 1) Voordat jy na ander se idees luister. Hulle idees is nie Sy opdragte nie. Moenie verpligtinge aangaan en uiteindelik gebind word deur beloftes wat jy nie kan nakom nie. Jy moet lief wees vir ander, maar slegs deur God se Gees gelei word. 2) Voordat jy na ander se klagtes luister. Jy is nie verantwoordelik vir hulle geluk nie. Jou behoefte om ander te help om goed te voel oor jouself, word "mede-afhanklikheid" genoem. Gee hulle aan God! 3) Voor jy na die behoeftes van ander kyk. Hulle behoeftes dryf hulle; slegs die plan van God moet jou lei. 4) Voordat jy op versoeke van ander reageer. Jy moet kan onderskei wat agter hul versoeke skuil. Toets die grond voor jy jou saad saai. 5) Voordat jy jou droom met ander deel. Dis nie genoeg om 'n droom te hê nie; jy moet 'n span hê. Jy het mense nodig om jou te help, jou op te beur en jou na 'n hoër vlak te lig. Die regte mense motiveer jou om sterker te word, beter te dink, harder te werk en meer te waag. Hulle verplig jou om voort te gaan! 6) Voor jy ander se goedkeuring vra. Mense met 'n agenda sal jou vlei en manipuleer. As jy luister na God se stem, sal dit jou keer om nie in die strik te trap nie. 7) Voordat jy groot veranderings maak. Dis nie jou werk om te besluit wat God wil hê jy moet doen nie, maar wel om dit te ontdek en dit dan te doen. Sielskos: 2 Konings 4:42-44; Markus 6:30-44 If our walls could talk, they sure would have a lot to say! Have you ever thought about that? What do you think they'd say? Oh, we're not talking about the private moments between a husband and wife where certain things should be kept private between them and God. We're talking overall, what would they say?
The Bible says in Proverbs 24:3-4: "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." So, is your home being built through "understanding" gaining knowledge of the ways of the Lord? The principles of loving each other are the principles for living, written throughout the Bible. If the walls of your home could talk, what would they say about how YOU PERSONALLY conduct yourself within your marriage relationship? You can't control your spouse. You can suggest, talk about, hope and pray that your spouse will act in a manner worthy of the Lord's calling for how he or she treats you as his or her partner in life. But you can't MAKE your spouse live by God's standards for living. So, our message is addressed to you personally. The Bible says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). And that includes your spouse! The question we place before you (as we place before ourselves) is: If the walls in your home could talk, AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS UPON YOU, what would they say? -- If the walls of your home could talk… would they speak of your faithfulness in your marital relationship? The Bible says, "Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well" (Proverbs 5:15). Even if your spouse is distant or unfaithful, it doesn't give you the right to do that which you shouldn't. "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in org-ies or drunkenness, not in s-xual im-morality, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (Romans 13:12-14). -- If the walls of your home could talk, would they say that you build up and encourage your spouse? The Bible says in Proverbs 14:1, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish tears hers down." Don't allow your words and attitudes to tear down the spirit of those who dwell within your home. And that goes for men as well as for women! "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:29:32). Jesus said, "A household divided against itself will not stand" (Matthew 12:25). Are you a builder or a destroyer? -- If the walls of your house could talk… would they testify that Jesus is Lord of your life and that you bring strength into your home? "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain" (Psalm 127:1). -- If the walls of your home could talk… would they say you're a quarrelsome person --picking ungodly arguments in the way you act out what's bothering you? "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife" (Proverbs 25:24). That doesn't let men off off the hook in this type of situation, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless" (James 1:26). "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:37). -- If the walls of your home could talk… would they say that the Lord dwells within them and that your life is a window in which others can clearly see the love of Christ displayed? "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) "You show that you are a letter from Christ… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3). Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). -- If the walls of your home could talk… would they testify that there is at least ONE person who lives within your home that is pressing forward to live faithfully, communicating the Gospel with and without words? Are you a light to your spouse, your children, and everyone who comes in contact with you? Do you learn from your mistakes and do you confess to God and those you offend, asking for forgiveness and working with God to stop this behavior? Are you living an authentic life in Christ? We're asking you these questions to both challenge and urge you to consider your personal walk with the Lord and your walk within your home --which should be consistent in how your faith is lived out. These are questions we ask and pray the Lord will help ALL of us to live faithfully to the end of our lives here on earth. Jesus said, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built" (Luke 6:46-48). That is our prayer for all of us --that we will build our marriages, our homes, and our lives on the strong foundation set forth through Jesus Christ! Cindy and Steve Wright |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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