UCB Word For Today

The Bible says: ‘Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travellers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him’ (vv. 41-44 NLT). This story has a happy ending because Jesus’ parents found Him. But it doesn’t always turn out that way. Don’t ‘assume’ your children are okay. Today they have access to drugs, weapons, and pornography via the internet, where they can meet a paedophile as well. That should concern you. Jesus said Satan comes to ‘steal…kill, and…destroy’ (John 10:10 KJV). Don’t let him have your family. After being set free from demonic control, a man wanted to travel with Jesus as one of His disciples. But Jesus said, ‘Go back home to your family and tell them what the Lord has done for you’ (see Luke 8:39). Your dream job or house will feel empty if you lose your children. Indeed, your achievements may taste like ashes in your mouth. If you have been travelling the road to success and neglecting to bring your family along with you, make a U-turn! Go back and get the people who matter most. Commit yourself to making the journey only if it includes them. Pray with the psalmist, ‘I need your help, especially in my own home, where I long to act as I should’ (Psalm 101:2 TLB). Don’t assume your children are okay – be sure they are.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Everybody needs encouragement. None of us achieves anything without help. The great achievers in history became all that they were because of the people in their lives. We've seen The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. But did you know that their authors, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, were professors at Oxford University and maintained a close friendship? Every week they'd meet to eat, talk about their fiction-writing endeavours and read passages of their yet unpublished works. It was Tolkien who encouraged Lewis, an avowed atheist, to explore Christianity, ultimately leading to his conversion. And it was Lewis who encouraged Tolkien to continue writing fiction and to seek publication. Were it not for their friendship and mutual encouragement, the world wouldn't have received the finest writing in apologetics of the twentieth century, nor one of the finest fantasy works ever written. Everyone, young and old, successful and less-than-successful, famous and unknown who receives encouragement is changed by it. Mark Twain said, 'One compliment can keep me going for a whole month.' A word of encouragement from a teacher can change a child's life; a word of encouragement from a spouse can strengthen or even save a marriage; a word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach his or her potential. Zig Ziglar says, 'You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.' The Bible says, 'Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones' (Proverbs 16:24 NKJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

If you want to change your life, you must change how you think and what you think about. When you think about the wrong things, your life goes wrong. But when you think about the right things, your life goes right. 1) Changing your thinking isn’t easy. It’s not automatic and doesn’t happen on its own. Good ideas seldom go out and bump into someone. If you want to discover a good idea, you have to look for it. If you want to improve your thinking, you need to work at it – and when you become a better thinker, good ideas will keep coming. Furthermore, the amount of good thinking you do at a specific time relies mainly on the amount of good thinking you’re engaging in already. 2) Changing your thinking calls for commitment. Albert Einstein said, ‘Thinking is hard work; that’s why so few do it.’ When someone says, ‘This thought is off the top of my head,’ anticipate dandruff. Only people who believe thinking is easy are the ones who don’t participate in it. The media, the culture, and those around you will influence your thinking unless you decide to think for yourself. 3) Changing your thinking brings great rewards. Paul writes, ‘We have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV). When you tap into the thoughts of God and make them your own, your potential is unlimited. Gold mines run out. Stock markets suddenly decline. Real estate investments go bad. But a mind transformed by the Spirit and Word of God is like a diamond mine that lasts. It’s invaluable.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Good thinkers are constantly in demand. Why? Because they solve problems, always have ideas that can build an organisation, and are hopeful for a better future. And good thinkers seldom find themselves under the control of bad thinkers. Adolf Hitler once boasted, ‘What luck for rulers that men do not think.’ Those who build the technique of good thinking can manage themselves – even when under an unfair ruler or in other challenging circumstances. In summary, good thinkers are successful. Dr John Maxwell writes: ‘I’ve studied successful people for forty years, and though the diversity you find among them is astounding, I’ve found that they are all alike in one way: how they think! That is the one thing that separates successful people from unsuccessful ones. And here’s the good news. How successful people think can be learned. If you can change your thinking, you can change your life!’ The Bible puts it succinctly: ‘For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.’ That means you will never climb higher in life until you are ready to change your thinking. But if you change the way you think, you can change your life! It’s hard to exaggerate the value of changing your thinking. Good thinking can do several things for you, including generating opportunities, resolving problems, and producing revenue. It can lead you to an entirely new level, both professionally and personally. Paul writes, ‘Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise…Then the God of peace will be with you’ (Philippians 4:8-9 NLT). Do you want to change your life? The first step is to change how you think.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

When you wilfully do wrong, you experience anxiety, stress, and insecurity. ‘“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked”’ (Isaiah 48:22 NKJV). Whenever you choose a plan of action incompatible with what you believe to be right, you forfeit your peace of mind. For instance, a person may accept a job or duty that forces them to do something against their spiritual convictions, something that violates their conscience. Numerous people have faced the predicament of compromising their values so they can get a promotion or attain other advantages. To them at the time, it looked like their only option. ‘There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death’ (Proverbs 16:25 KJV). This is when a strong spiritual foundation is essential. It takes faith and bravery to let your convictions direct your behaviour and your choices. The truth is that God is ultimately responsible for your advancement and promotion. His Word says, ‘Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another’ (Psalm 75:6-7 KJV). Don’t think you can do right in your own power. Sometimes the temptation to manipulate or lie so that you can advance your career is just too much to withstand. That’s when you need to draw on God’s strength. David said, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm 27:1 NKJV). Prayer: ‘Father, please keep me from falling into temptation, and deliver me from the Evil One. Help me to do what’s right.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

The following definition of love and marriage is a time-tested formula that would be hard to improve on: ‘Love is friendship that has caught fire. It’s quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing, and forgiving. It’s loyalty through good times and bad. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weakness. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and refuses to brood over the past. It’s the day in and day out chronicle of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working together towards common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don’t, no matter what else there is, it’s not enough.’ The Bible says, ‘Relish [enjoy, savour, delight, and take pleasure in] life with the spouse you love…every day…Make the most of each one!’ And if you want to make your marriage work, observe these five rules: 1) Never both be angry at once, and never yell – unless the house is on fire. 2) Yield to each other. If you have to choose between making yourself or your mate look good – always choose your mate. 3) Neglect the whole world rather than each other, and never let a day end without saying at least one complimentary thing to the one you love. 4) Never meet without an affectionate welcome, and never go to bed angry. 5) When you make a mistake, talk it out and ask for forgiveness. Now, since God came up with the idea of marriage, pray and ask Him for help with yours. He will do it!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Talking about the power behind the Reformation, Martin Luther said, ‘I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And then, while I slept…the Word so greatly weakened [the erroneous system] that never a prince or emperor did such damage to it. I did nothing. The Word did it all.’ Later, when Luther was asked about his preaching philosophy, he added, ‘I just threw the Bible into the congregation and the Word did the work!’ As human beings, we accomplish a lot with our words. For example, when we order something by phone, our words set a chain of events in motion, and in due course, what we want is delivered to our doorstep. Words perform, and that’s particularly true when it comes to God’s words. He said, ‘I am ready to perform My word.’ God works through His words. Check these words out: ‘Who says to Jerusalem, “You shall be inhabited,” to the cities of Judah, “You shall be built”…who says to the deep, “Be dry!”…and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid”’ (Isaiah 44:26-28 NKJV). Things happen when God speaks, and things happen when people speak what God has already spoken. And what’s more, amazing things happen in those who receive what God speaks, namely ‘the word of God, which…effectively works in you who believe’ (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV). The fact is that God’s Word refreshes us, heals us, gives us wisdom and discernment, brings us joy and enduring hope by making us spiritually healthy, prevents foolishness and warns us of impending danger, and promises both earthly and eternal rewards when we obey its principles.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

V. Raymond Edman said, ‘To be torn…by external forces, and still…preserve one’s inward integrity, is to know the discipline that endures.’ So when you’re faced with opposition, do you automatically throw in the towel, or like Moses, do you persevere? Chuck Swindoll characterises Moses as a man ‘who hung tough, who refused to give in or give up, who decided that no amount of odds against him would cause him to surrender…He possessed the disciplines of durability. He endured the contempt of Pharaoh…the stubbornness of the Hebrews who grumbled, blamed, complained, and rebelled…the criticism of Miriam and Aaron, his own sister and brother. When ten of the twelve spies came back with their nay-sayings, Moses stood fast. When Korah and Dathan and Abiram led a conspiracy against him, Moses remained “resolute”. “When you have fought to a standstill…stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:13 PHPS)…when the wicked appear to be winning…in times of crisis…when no one will know if you compromised… when big people act contemptibly small…when people demand authority they don’t deserve. Stand firm…keep your head…stay true…endure! You may be getting shaky…[or] begun to listen too closely to your critics. Maybe you’ve started giving in…in little areas…because you’re tired. Moses endured – even in his eighties. How? By focusing…on “Him who is invisible”. He fixed his heart and soul on the One who, alone, judges righteously. He continually reminded himself that his sole purpose was to please, obey, and glorify Him and to gain His approval at all cost.’ Whatever you’re facing, stand strong and don’t give up!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

You don’t have to be alone to be lonely. Some of us are married to emotionally unavailable spouses. Some of us put up with verbal and emotional abuse because we prefer anybody’s company to our own. Some of the loneliest people you will meet are in crowded bars at ‘happy’ hour. They mingle, but they don’t connect. What is the answer? 1) Get involved in a cause greater than self-interest. After the Prodigal Son had spent his last penny partying with so-called friends, they forsook him, and he ended up alone in a pig pen. On the other hand, when the disciples were persecuted for their faith, the Bible says that ‘being let go, they went to their own company’ (Acts 4:23 KJV). They had friends who shared their faith and their vision, who knew how to pray with them, strengthen them, and stand by them. And God has people like that who are waiting to become part of your life; you will find some of them in your local church. 2) Practise being accepting of others. When you love and accept people as they are, they’re drawn to you. ‘Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins’ (1 Peter 4:8 NLT). 3) Reach out. Begin nurturing your relationships by connecting more often with the people you know and value. Don’t get sucked into the social media/email/text-message-only communication vacuum. The founder of Wired Magazine says that his favourite form of communication is face-to-face, his second is by phone, and his third is via internet. Take a leaf out of his book.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

A leadership expert who conducted a poll to find out how people came to be leaders writes: ‘I asked if they became leaders because a) they were given a position; b) there was a crisis in the organisation; or c) they had been mentored. More than 80 per cent indicated that they were leaders because someone had mentored them in leadership – had taken them through the process…As leaders, if we feel any uncertainty or insecurity about the leadership development process, it is usually not related to the training we give. The uncertainty we feel comes when we contemplate releasing our leaders to lead. It is not dissimilar to what parents feel with their kids. My children are grown and have families of their own, but when they were teenagers, the hardest thing for my wife and me was releasing them to go their own way and make their own decisions. It is scary, but if you don’t let them try out their wings, they will never learn to fly. As I have grown older, I have come to think of myself as a lid lifter. That is my main function as a team leader. If I can lift the leadership lids for the members of my team, then I am doing my job. The more barriers I remove for my people, the more likely they are to rise up to their potential.’ Jesus told His disciples, ‘You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain’ (John 15:16 NKJV). If you want lasting fruit and enduring results – take the time to develop leaders.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.