‘It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose.’ Philippians 2:13 NIV

When it comes to doing what pleases God, there are two major hurdles you need to overcome—the ‘want to’ and the ‘able to’. Giving up your own plans and embracing God’s will doesn’t come easily. Your old fleshly nature wants what it wants, not what God wants. And even when God’s will is clear, and you want what He wants, you lack the necessary ability to do it. Fortunately, that’s where God steps into your problem by working in you to give you the ‘want to’ and the ‘ability to’. But the willingness and the capability both come from Him, not you. You ask, ‘Since God is working in me, why is there such a struggle to know and to do His will?’ The problem is, your natural mind is self-centred and tends to resist God’s will. So what’s the answer?

(1) Surrender your body and its appetites to God. ‘Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.’ (Romans 12:1 NIV)

(2) Renew your mind. ‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.’ (Romans 12:2 NIV) In the original Greek, ‘renewing’ means to be ‘inwardly renovated’ by aligning your thoughts with God’s—to intentionally think like He thinks. In other words, God initiates the ‘want to’ and the ‘ability to’, and you cooperate by aligning your mind with His. When that happens, you can be confident ‘that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.’ (Philippians 1:6 NIV)

SoulFood: Eze 37:1–14, Matt 27:50–53, 1 Thes 4:13–18

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘He loved them to the end.’ John 13:1 NIV

People spend hours every day on social networks like WhatsApp and Facebook—in many cases because they’re lonely. Now, there’s nothing wrong with interacting with others this way. In fact, social media offers one of the greatest tools the church has ever had for reaching the world with the Gospel. But in a day when it’s getting easy to neglect real relationships, let’s remember why we’re connecting with others in the first place.

Dr James Dobson says: ‘Life is so much richer when we have friends with whom we can share our joys and troubles… Unfortunately loneliness remains a major problem and source of pain for many. But none of us need become resigned to loneliness; it’s “treatable,” if not actually avoidable.’

Real relationships aren’t built by posting updates, or reposting thought-provoking quotes. It takes more time than that. The greatest social networking involves meeting someone’s needs in a way that never would have happened without a one-on-one connection. That’s what Jesus did. Most of His public ministry was spent pouring Himself into twelve men who, in turn, went out in His name and poured themselves into others. The Bible says, ‘Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love.’ The psalmist spelled out how many people today feel deep down: ‘No one is concerned for me… no one cares.’ (Psalm 142:4 NIV) If you want to meet people’s needs you have to get ‘up close and personal’. That’s what Jesus did, and He’s your example.

SoulFood: Col 1–2, John 18:25–40, Ps 105:1–7, Pro 30:1–4

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord.’ Psalm 127:3 CEV

Some people say it doesn’t matter how little time you spend with your children, as long as it’s quality time. But the logic of that concept seems suspect. Why do we have to choose between the virtues of quantity versus quality? We don’t force that choice in any other area of our lives, so why is it only relevant to our children?

We could illustrate it this way. Suppose you’ve looked forward all day to eating at one of the finest restaurants in town. The waiter brings you a menu, and you order the most expensive steak in the house. But when the meal arrives, you see a tiny piece of meat that would fit on a teaspoon in the centre of the plate. When you complain about the size, the waiter says, ‘I recognise that the portion is small, but it is the finest grain-fed beef money can buy. You will never find a better bite of steak than what we have served you tonight. As to the portion, I hope you understand that it’s not the quantity that matters; it’s the quality.’

You would object, and for good reason. Why? Because both quantity and quality are important in many areas of our lives, including how we relate to our children. They need our time, and the best we have to give them. The truth is, the ‘quantity versus quality’ argument might be a poorly disguised excuse for giving our children neither. The Bible says, ‘Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord.’ So when it comes to giving them time and attention, they deserve the best in both quantity and quality.

SoulFood: Jos 22–24, John 18:12–24, Ps 150, Pro 29:22–27

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘A child’s glory is his father.’ Proverbs 17:6 TLB

Your child is already in the process of becoming the kind of person he or she is eventually going to be. So to bring them up right and to make them proud of you, live by these six principles:

(1) Assure them of your love. They need to know your love is given, and it will never be withdrawn because of their appearance, achievements, or actions. Let them know they are loved for who they are, and that their worth in your eyes is never in question.

(2) Build strong character and godly values. ‘Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.’ (Proverbs 22:6 NLT)

(3) Establish clear boundaries. And be consistent in maintaining them. Do children like rules? No. But your first goal is not to make your child happy, it’s to teach them responsibility, and happiness will follow.

(4) Help them to discover their potential. That means listening, observing, and once their talents are identified, helping to develop them. ‘We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.’ (Romans 12:6 NIV)

(5) Don’t try to duplicate yourself through them. God gave each of your children their own unique makeup and personality. So don’t try to make them something that God and the rest of us don’t need one more of.

(6) Encourage them to pursue their life’s vision. ‘Your young people will see visions.’ (Joel 2:28 GNT) Don’t pour cold water on the fire of their enthusiasm, fan it. Get out of the critic’s seat and become their greatest supporter. If you do, you will make them proud of you.

SoulFood: Jos 19:24–21:45, John 18:1–11, Ps 148:7–14, Pro 29:16–21

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.’ John 20:21 NLT

Jesus said, ‘As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.’ Notice, it’s about how God wants us to share the Gospel, not the rules, regulations, and dictates of various denominations. Understand this:

(1) We were sent to serve, not be served. ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.’ (Matthew 20:28 NIV) Ever notice that when we are the last to be served in a queue we get angry? We think we deserve better. But in God’s Kingdom the power is at the bottom, and it’s from there Christ governs and conquers. We must come to the end of ourselves. We don’t represent Jesus unless we are willing to put on the apron of humility and wash our brother’s feet, even if his name happens to be Judas.

(2) We were sent to do God’s will, not our own. Jesus said, ‘I have come… not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.’ (John 6:38 ESV) When we’re young and people inquire about our plans for life, we sometimes say, ‘I’d like to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a business owner.’ But we really need to add ‘the Lord willing’, because unless He’s in it, you are on your own. Choosing the wrong occupation will put you in the wrong place, with the wrong people, and consequently everything in your life will be wrong.

John said, ‘The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.’ (1 John 2:17 NIV) To miss God’s will—is to miss the purpose for which you were born. Don’t let that happen to you.

SoulFood: Jos 16:1–19:23, John 17:13–26, Ps 148:1–6, Pro 29:11–15

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘We are well able.’ Numbers 13:30 AMPC

One Sunday evening, Mary Southerland was in church when a stranger tapped her on the shoulder and told her she was called to be the music and youth assistant for the church. She thought he had lost his mind! She had just graduated with a degree in primary school education, and a friend had invited her to attend the church and sing in the evening service. That’s all—or so she thought. When the service ended, her friend said, ‘You should at least pray about his offer.’ She did. ‘Here I am 30 years later, an unlikely servant, who lives in constant amazement at God’s plan for my life.’

We let our weaknesses and insecurities dictate the course of our lives, when God is looking for ordinary people to do the extraordinary. We’re always making excuses for why we can’t get involved in volunteering or helping others. Chances are, on your own you don’t feel capable. Few people do. But Paul points out that God’s power works best in our weakness. (See 2 Corinthians 12:9).

When Moses sent out twelve spies to assess the opposition, ten reported that going forward was impossible because the giants were too big (see Numbers 13:28). But the other two disagreed with the majority report: ‘Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able.’ God sees you as ‘well able’, not because you are powerful, but because He is. With Him on your side you can rise up with confidence, knowing you are well able to overcome. God sees you as a winner, and an overcomer who can do great things because of the talents and power He has placed inside you.

SoulFood: Jos 14–15, John 17:1–12, Ps 147:12–20, Pro 29:6–10

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘In Him we might become the righteousness of God.’ 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

Jesus called the devil ‘a liar and the father of lies.’ (John 8:44 NIV) Yet it’s so easy to fall into the trap of listening to past voices condemning us, as old echoes reverberate in our minds. The enemy’s accusations can leverage off past hurts to make us hide from God: ‘You’re not good enough. You don’t pray enough. Nobody could ever love you if they knew the real you. What you’ve done is unforgiveable. You’ll never receive God’s blessing.’ These are lies. Don’t let your past mistakes define your relationship with God. He doesn’t!

Paul said, ‘I do not do the good things I want to do… I do the bad things I do not want to do.’ (Romans 7:19 NCV) Like Paul, recognise that you’ve sinned but don’t get stuck in guilt. Repent of the wrong you’ve done and repent of believing the lies of the enemy. Ask Jesus to empower your words and then press forward into a new day. After all, you can’t change the past. But Jesus is the One who offers you the chance to change the future. If you’re still thinking, ‘I don’t have a future. I’ve messed up too often,’ that’s the enemy, not the Lord.

God says your accuser been ‘cast down.’ (Revelation 12:10 KJV) So stand your ground, and remind him that ‘God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.’ Like all of us, you’ve probably made your fair share of mistakes. But remember God sees you ‘in Christ’, so you’re ‘complete’, ‘justified’, and ‘accepted’. Conditionally you’re a work-in-progress—and He won’t give up on you!

SoulFood: Jos 11–13, John 16:19–33, Ps 147:1–11, Pro 29:1–5

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Whenever they measure themselves by their own standards or compare themselves among themselves, they show how foolish they are.’ 2 Corinthians 10:12 ISV

Does this sound familiar? ‘You think your day was tough? I dealt with 30 customers before lunch!’ It’s easy to get sucked into ‘The Martyr’s Contest’, where your problems are worse than everybody else’s. And if you’re not careful, it can creep into your home.

Alicia Howe writes: ‘At day’s end when workplace frustrations are fresh and domestic tasks are looming, the setting is ripe… Spouses who desperately need each other to recognise their efforts, battle it out for the title of hardest-working person… We have a fundamental need for recognition from our spouses, and if we don’t get it, we devise strategies to evoke it.’ The problem is, when we compare ourselves we can damage our relationship. So with that in mind:

(1) Be alert for unspoken pleas for encouragement. When your mate expresses frustration, don’t counter with one-up-manship. Jesus said, ‘Listen… if you have ears!’ (Mark 4:9 GNT) What your mate needs is assurance that they can handle the problem.

(2) Express appreciation often. Imagine your mate wearing a sign that says, ‘Appreciate me!’ The fact that society is inclined towards assigning gender-specific roles doesn’t give you the right to take your partner for granted.

(3) Reinforce your spouse’s efforts to help. Don’t criticise the way they fold laundry or prepare the vegetables. When you do, you guarantee they won’t try to do it again. Think of a four-pronged fork:

(a) Be respectful of one another’s work.

(b) Recognise that while your jobs are different, they can both be difficult. (c)

Be sensitive, and flexible enough to help when it’s not ‘your job’ or ‘your turn’.

(d) Outlaw the complaint, ‘I’m tired.’ It’s counter-productive, and chances are you are both tired of hearing it!

SoulFood: Ecc 11:7–12:1, Ps 39:4–13, 2 Tim 4:6–8

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘If God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.’ Exodus 18:23 NLT

In Exodus we read: ‘Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said…“What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone… But select capable men… Have them serve as judges… That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain.”’ (Exodus 18:13–23 NIV)

When Jenni Catron was the executive director of a fast-growing church, she said: ‘As a performance-based people-pleaser, I know how Moses must have felt. Quick growth and multiplying campuses… I was trying to lead and manage everything. In the process, I’d become worn out and frustrated. What I was doing wasn’t healthy for our team and the church. In the weeks that followed, we reorganised our staff, empowered leaders with more authority, and developed a pipeline for training and development at all levels. As leaders we must resist the temptation to be heroes and handle it all ourselves. It’s critical to re-evaluate your leadership structure at least once a year. Ministry leadership is tough… but there are things you can do to develop others and spread the responsibility.’

It takes prayer, humility, and patience to develop the right people. But if you delegate wisely, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people around you will benefit. It’s a win/win for everybody!

SoulFood: Jos 8:30–10:43, John 16:12–18, Ps 2, Pro 28:25–28

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on.’ 2 Timothy 2:2 NLT

Most church leaders would concede that people are their greatest resource. Which raises the question, why isn’t more time devoted to training new leaders? After all, by failing to do this, the effectiveness and growth of ministry is curtailed. Barnabas raised up and trained up Paul who in turn raised up and trained up others. He told his trainee, Timothy, ‘Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on.’

When you devote time to developing leaders with a caring attitude, they learn to pass the same level of care on to the people they minister to. There are proven principles that apply to leadership in any organisation, and the church is no exception. For example, Jon Gordon says: ‘Great customer service begins with being employee-focused first and customer-focused second. Too often organisations focus all their energy on the customer while ignoring the people who serve. This may work in the short run, but eventually employees become tired, burned out, negative, and resentful… Organisations who deliver the best service have a culture where employees are valued, listened to, and cared for. In turn these employees value, care for, and serve their customers… If you model great service, your people will share it. If you want your team to serve, serve them. If you want your people to care, care about them. If you want your team to love their work, love them. If you want your employees to be their best, give them your best.’

So are you training people who can train others?

SoulFood: Jos 5:1–8:29, John 16:1–11, Ps 130, Pro 28:21–24

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©