When I hear or read all these incredible stories in the Bible, I cannot help but wonder, how the disciples could sometimes struggle in believing in Jesus. I mean, can you imagine following the son of God, seeing all the wonders He did, healing people, calming storms, preaching wisdom and seeing him even raise people from the dead. And then the next moment they panic when the ocean is too rough or if there is no food to feed people.
These are such little things in comparison with all the amazing miracles He has performed in front of them. They have seen these things with their own eyes, and still they doubt.
Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks – I did the same. How easy do we forget all the amazing things He has done in our lives, especially when times are hard, and we worry. This happened in my own life, and I learnt a very valuable lesson.
I was 4 months pregnant with my second child and were moving from one rental house to another. I told the landlord that I would have the carpets washed, but they insisted on having them washed themselves and subtracting the amount from our deposit.
I remember calling my mom and telling her that I am so angry, I could burst an artery. In Afrikaans it is “Ek is nou so kwaad, ek bars sommer ’n aar.” It is not the first time I have used this expression and didn’t even think much about it when I said it.
At that time, I was working in my grandparent’s art gallery and they were visiting family in America. The next day I went to work, like every other day before that. At one point during the afternoon, I wasn’t feeling very well. My vison became black with white flickers, and my right hand started having pins and needles.
The phone rang and my tongue was heavy and thick. I was thinking the correct words, but the wrong words came out of my mouth which did not really make any sense. I called my mom and she called a friend to come and take me to the hospital, as my family was out of town.
At the hospital they did an MRI which showed that I had a brain aneurysm, bleeding on the left side of my head just above my ear around the temporal. I hadn’t hit my head on something, and they attributed it up to my pregnancy. I was in hospital for a week and the doctor warned me that if it should start bleeding again, I would have to make a choice between my life and the life of my baby.
I was not allowed to work or have any stress for the next 5 months of my pregnancy. I also had to have a c-section because any pressure on my brain was too dangerous.
Fast forward to the birth – when I delivered a beautiful healthy baby boy. We named his second name Caleb. Caleb is a Hebrew name of biblical origin, and it means faithful, whole-hearted, bold and brave.
Three months later I had to go for a CAT scan to have a check-up on my brain, and there was nothing. Doctors could not explain it, and once again they attributed it up to my pregnancy.
I learned two major lessons in that situation – one, that you should be careful what you say. I had said it, and it happened, inexplicably.
Sometimes we grow up with sayings, that we are so used to, and we say them without even thinking, never realising what we are saying, speaking into existence over our families and oneself.
The Bible says in Proverbs 18: 21 “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
With a spoken word God spoke everything. Jesus also used words to perform miracles and was even tempted by Satan to change stones into bread with one spoken word.
The second thing I learned was that even though this frightening situation happened, Jesus still healed me and protected my son even before he was born.
And then I realised, this amazing miracle had happened almost 15 years ago. I forgot about how faithful He is, and that anything is possible for Him. Just like the disciples, I still doubt Him, thinking that I need to sort things out and make plans, when all I have to do is ask Him.
Don’t we as parents just want to give the best to our children?
How much more does He want what is best for us. I mean, have you ever thought about how much you must love someone to be willing to die for them, without giving it another thought. And not just going to sleep and not waking up again…painlessly.
Going through the worst physical pain, being tortured to give someone you love life. It’s easy to say, but not so easy to do it. It is evident in His word, how much He wants us to be happy, to prosper and live a full life, because He loves us.
In 2 Samuel 12:8 it says: “I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!”
May we not forget like the disciples. May we always have faith in Him, even a tiny little mustard seed is enough.
Matthew 17:20: “for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”
Write down everything He has done for you, and for those around you, so that it can remind you of all He has done and sacrificed for you, because you are worth it.
’n Kultuur van eer: ’n Kerk kompetisie
In die Woord sien ons die eerste kompetisie reeds in Genesis, waar ons die verhaal van Kain en Abel kry. Kain se hart was gevul met afguns en selfsug, terwyl Abel se hart daarop gefokus was om Jesus te eer. Jakobus 3:16 sê, “Want waar afguns en selfsug heers, kom wanorde en allerlei gemene dade voor.” Dit is duidelik dat daar ’n uitdaging is wat ons kan kompeteer, maar hoe kan ons ’n kultuur bou wat Jesus eer?
Wat is ’n kultuur wat Jesus eer? Jesus het nie ’n kultuur van kompetisie en jaloesie onder sy dissipels geduld nie. Hy het dit gekonfronteer en daarop aangedring dat enige leier wat hom nie aan die kultuur van nederigheid en eer sou onderwerp nie, ‘geen deel aan my sou hê nie’ (Johannes 13:8).
Jesus het ’n kultuur van nederigheid, eer en diensbaarheid as ononderhandelbaar gestel. Petrus het eers geweier dat Jesus sy voete was, want hy het nie verstaan nie. Maar hy moes leer om homself onder Jesus te onderwerp, wat lei na eer met ’n goeie houding. Dit bring ons by die belangrike punt: kultuur eet altyd strategie vir ontbyt. Kultuur word gevorm deur dit wat ons voortdurend “ja” sê. Wat sê ons “ja” voor wat Jesus eer? Wat verdra ons wat nie vir Jesus eer nie?
Hoe eer ons Jesus? Romeine 12 gee ons ’n duidelike riglyn oor hoe ons ’n kultuur kan bou wat Jesus eer. Paulus skryf: “Gee julleself aan God as lewende en heilige offers wat vir Hom aanneemlik is.” Dit beteken dat ons nie aan hierdie sondige wêreld gelyk moet word nie, maar dat ons denke vernuwe moet word om God se wil te onderskei. Vir ’n kultuur van eer in die kerk om ’n kultuur van eer in ons gemeenskap te bou, moet ons ’n paar belangrike beginsels volg: 1. Hoe ons onsself sien: Nederigheid is om jouself te sien soos God jou sien, in die mate van geloof wat Hy vir jou gegee het. 2. Hoe ons ander sien: Ons moet ander sien soos Jesus hulle sien. 2 Korintiërs 5:16-18 herinner ons daaraan dat iemand wat aan Christus behoort, ’n nuwe mens is. Die beloning van eer in Matteus 10:41-42 sê Jesus dat wie ’n profeet ontvang, ’n profeet se beloning sal ontvang, en wie ’n goeie mens ontvang, sal ’n goeie mens se beloning ontvang. Dit wys ons dat die wat ons respekteer en eer, bepalend is vir die vrug wat ons in ons lewens kan ontvang.
Grondslag vir eer: 1. Geskep in God se beeld: Om iemand te beledig, is om ’n beelddraer van God te beledig. 2. Iemand vir wie God gesterf het:‘‘n Duur prys is betaal vir elke lewe. 3. Amp en posisie: pa, ma, onderwyser, hoof, president, ensovoorts. 4. Prestasie en vermoëns: Ons eer mense vir wat hulle bereik het. 5. Voorkoms: Dit is nie verkeerd om skoonheid te eer nie, maar dit is laaste op die lys.
Bill Johnson sê, “’n Kultuur van eer vier wie iemand is, sonder om te struikel oor wie hulle nie is nie.” Dit beteken dat ons die goud in mense moet soek en uitroep, wat ‘n bonatuurlike, profetiese onderskeiding vereis.
Wanneer ons ’n kultuur van eer vestig, voel mense geliefd en raakgesien deur Jesus. Dit skep ’n hoë mate van vertroue, vrymoedigheid om te wees wie jy is, genade om foute te maak, en ’n kultuur van geloof waar die onmoontlike moontlik word.
Vir praktiese stappe om ’n kultuur van eer te bou, moet ons gebed en profetiese onderskeiding gebruik. Vra die Heilige Gees om jou te help om die skoonheid en gawes in ander te sien. Sien Jesus raak in mense en verklaar positiewe Skrifwoorde oor hulle. Dit vestig ’n kultuur van eer wat die fondament van ons gemeenskap versterk.
Deur ’n kultuur van eer te bou, maak ons ruimte vir God se teenwoordigheid en werking in ons lewens en gemeenskap. So, laat ons kompeteer in die uitdaging om Jesus te eer in alles wat ons doen en sê, en ’n verskil maak in die wêreld rondom ons. (Deur Theo Burmeister)