Persevering despite the temptations of pleasure or pain

Walter Mischel

Walter Mischel conducted an experiment with four-year-olds in the 1970s. He left a four-year-old alone in a room with a marshmallow and a bell. If the child rings the bell, Walter returns immediately, and the child eats the marshmallow. If the little one can wait for Walter to come back of his own choice, he or she will get an extra sweet.

In videos from the experiment, you can see the kids wriggle, squirm, swing their legs, close their eyes, and sit on their hands. They are desperate to apply restraint. They usually really want to wait to get two sweets. Their actions differed greatly. Some could not hold out and rang the bell within a minute. Others could hold out for up to 15 minutes.

The children’s further development was followed by the researcher. Those who could wait longer scored higher points at school. They gained access to better educational institutions and accomplish more as adults. The children who rang the bell the soonest were prone to a higher percentage of bullying. Ten years later, they were rated poorer by parents and teachers, and by age 32 were more likely to have drug-related problems.

Walter Mischel’s conclusion was that children should learn that it is better to work, prepare and sacrifice for the future, rather than living for immediate satisfaction of needs. The future is more important than one might realize in the heat of the moment.

This is also true of spiritual life as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

I would like us to listen to Paul’s take on temptations. And to learn from him how waiting for God’s promise provide the way of escape from temptations. That is the only sure way to persevere in faith.

Written by Chris van Wyk on 15/09/2019. Posted in Chris van Wyk

Bid dat ons getrou sal bly – Matteus 6:11-13

Wat bid ons met die sesde bede van die Ons Vader?

In die uitleg van die Heidelbergse Kategismus 127 erken ons daarmee:

• Ons is in onsself so swak dat ons nie een oomblik staande kan bly nie (Joh 15:5; Ps 103:14).
• Daarby hou ons doodsvyande, die duiwel (1 Pet 5:8; Ef 6:12), die wêreld (Joh 15:19) en ons eie sondige natuur (Rom 7:23; Gal 5:17), nie op om ons aan te val nie.

Ons vra daarmee:

• Wil U ons tog deur die krag van u Heilige Gees staande hou en versterk,
• sodat ons teen hulle sterk teenstand kan bied en
• in hierdie geestelik stryd nie beswyk (Matt 26:41; Mark 13:33) nie,
• totdat ons eindelik die oorwinning volkome behaal (1 Tess 3:13; 5:23).”

Download the English translation: Pray that we remain faithful

HIER VOLG DIE HELE EREDIENS:

Written by Chris van Wyk on 15/09/2019. Posted in Chris van Wyk, Die krag van gebed, Wie is God?

Persevering despite the temptations of pleasure or pain – Sunday 18:30

Walter Mischel conducted an experiment with four-year-olds in the 1970s. He left a four-year-old alone in a room with a marshmallow and a bell. If the child rings the bell, Walter returns immediately, and the child eats the marshmallow. If the little one can wait for Walter to come back of his own choice, he or she will get an extra sweet.

In videos from the experiment, you can see the kids wriggle, squirm, swing their legs, close their eyes, and sit on their hands. They are desperate to apply restraint. They usually really want to wait to get two sweets. Their actions differed greatly. Some could not hold out, and rang the bell within a minute. Others could hold out for up to 15 minutes.

The children’s further development was followed by the researcher. Those who could wait longer scored higher points at school. They gained access to better educational institutions, and accomplish more as adults. The children who rang the bell the soonest were prone to a higher percentage of bullying. Ten years later, they were rated poorer by parents and teachers, and by age 32 were more likely to have drug-related problems.

Walter Mischel’s conclusion was that children should learn that it is better to work, prepare and sacrifice for the future, rather than living for immediate satisfaction of needs. The future is more important than one might realize in the heat of the moment.

This is also true of spiritual life as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

Join us Sunday evening 18:30 for Paul’s take on temptations. And how waiting for God’s promise to provide a way of escape from temptations is the only sure way to persevere in faith.

Written by Chris van Wyk on 12/09/2019. Posted in Nuusflitse

Bid dat ons getrou bly – Familiediens 09:00

Paulus skryf in 1 Korintiërs 10:1-13 oor versoekings.

• Sommige versoekings het met plesier te make – dinge wat wat ons verlei om sonde te doen.
• Ander versoekings het met pyn te make – dinge wat ons in verset bring teen God.

Alle versoekings wil ons egter verlei om God se wil te breek óf te bevraagteken.

Hierdie Sondag fokus ons daarom op die sesde bede van die Ons Vader:

“En bring ons nie in versoeking nie, maar verlos ons van die Bose.”

Wat bid ons hiermee? Wat kan ons van God verwag? En ek verbind die belofte van Paulus aan hierdie gebed:

“God is egter getrou. Hy sal nie toelaat dat julle bo julle vermoë versoek word nie, maar sal saam met die versoeking ook uitkoms gee, sodat julle dit kan verduur.” (1 Kor 10:13)

Written by Chris van Wyk on 12/09/2019. Posted in Nuusflitse

7. The New Humanity

INTRODUCTION

In the opening pages of the Bible, God appoints humans to rule the world on his behalf. But when they rebel, the biblical story leads us on a search for a new humanity that will be God’s faithful partners, forever. This is the plot conflict of the biblical story that leads to Jesus, and we explore it in this final and seventh episode of our Spiritual Being series.

Written by Chris van Wyk on 08/09/2019. Posted in Chris van Wyk, Spiritual Beings