Andreas Basson

The words printed on the t-shirt I am wearing as I write this are: Work Hard, Stay Humble. This is a biblical principle. The only thing that the Bible says, God exalts and lifts up, is humility. It is interesting that it's not talent, ability, good looks, popularity, or how much you earn or own. The one thing God exalts is humility. "…whoever humbles himself will be exalted" Matthew 23:12b "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." I Peter 5:5. To live in relationship with God means we have[...]

We live in this odd tension of ever-changing rhythms, rediscovered purposes, and many emotions. The good news is, God's view of us remains the same, and we are His beloved children. We need to remind ourselves of this truth and begin to treat God's creation (you) with the same love He has for you! A few things to remember. Be kind to yourself. Find moments to do things you enjoy and things that fill your heart. Practice positive thinking. The content of our hearts begins with what we think or believe in our[...]

If we decide to love as Christ loved us, it will look a lot like this: we would, Submit to one another, Forgive one another, Encourage one another, Restore one another as Christ did. Accept one another, Care for one another, Bear with one another, Carry one another's burdens as Christ did. This is the shortlist of all God, through Christ, has done for each of us. Jesus' new single command was designed to serve as the overarching ethic for his church. "Love one another, just as I have loved y[...]

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 ESV. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. I remember life before constant digital noise: no inbox pings, Twitter tweets or Instagram notifications. Because of the Covid-19 virus, our culture is pulled toward distractions like binging Netflix shows, scrolling through endless news feeds, checking every two minutes to see if we have a new notification. I’m[...]

As believers in Christ, we are called to be his disciples. That sounds scary and weird for some, but that's because we don't understand the meaning. To be a disciple means you are a follower, a learner, a student. See, Jesus called us to be his students and to learn from Him. But what was He teaching us?  John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." The reason why Jesus came to the earth was to teach us about God's uncondition[...]

"He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip." Matthew 25:15 NLT We all have a different capacity. Some people can get by on four hours of sleep; I require at least eight. My life gets out of balance when I compare my capacity with someone of greater capacity. Our capacity is meant to provide guidelines, not guilt or condemnation. The question is: can we use our capacity to our ad[...]

 “I pray that you will see how great the things are that He has promised to those who belong to Him.” Ephesians 1:18 If you are a Jesus follower, you have a Saviour who will never leave you. Also, you are presently living in fields of diamonds, whether you see it or not! Working with families, I regularly see people walk out on marriages because false promises of happiness and fulfilment are dangled in front of them. People walk out on God over the appeal of fortune, fame, and fun in the world. Unfortu[...]

Effective faith is based on a principle of submission to authority. "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.' And Jesus said to him, 'I will come and heal him.'  The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man under authority….' Jesus responded, “Assuredly, I say to you[...]

I often check a person's hope meter. Especially if they are struggling emotionally because losing hope is like losing everything. Hope is the belief that my tomorrow will be better than my today. Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.” It sounds as if everything is okay with David. But it’s not. Psalm 42:3 “My tears have been my food day and night...”. When your tears are your food day and night, that means you are really suffering from hopelessness.[...]

I often check a person's hope meter, especially if they struggle emotionally, because losing hope is like losing everything. Hope is the belief that my tomorrow will be better than my today. Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God." It sounds as if everything is okay with David. But it's not. Psalm 42:3 "My tears have been my food day and night...". When your tears are your food day and night, that means you are really suffering from hopelessness. Yet, he says he[...]