GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: March 18, 2022

Companions

If you choose bad companions no one will believe that you are anything but bad yourself. (Aesop’s Fables)

This is really good advice for young people who are often attracted to friends who seem to have so much, accomplish so much, and have great influence among their peers.  Even when it is suspected that their activity is not always above board, the attraction for apparent success may be overwhelming. That’s why parents must help them choose the right friends and stick with them.

You must not associate with people who claim to be believers but continue to live in sin (1 Corinthians 5:11). Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts (2 Timothy 2:22). 

Stop & Think: March 17, 2022

Happiness

Happiness is something that multiplies when it is divided. (Paulo Coehlo, Brazilian lyricist)

A truly happy person can hardly keep his joy to himself. It shows up in his smile, his speech, and his behavior. He or she will rarely keep it to themselves. Unlike sadness—which can often be clearly seen in another, joy may not be shared quite as easily or spontaneously. The person who shares his happiness is all the more blessed and happier. Do your best to make others happy, too.

A glad heart makes a happy face . . . for the happy heart, life is a continual feast (Proverbs 15:13, 15). Be happy with those who are happy. (Romans 12:15)

Stop & Think: March 16, 2022

Think and Act

While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity (Publilius Syrus, 1st century BC, Latin writer)

Does this sound counterintuitive to you? We are often encouraged to think before we act, to give a project careful thought before launching out. Maybe Syrus is warning against “over-think.” We can waste a lot of time trying to consider all the possibilities of a particular venture, losing the opportunity that is there to take. Think, yes, but act on what you’ve already discovered.

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Stop & Think: March 15, 2022

Patience

Patience is also a form of action. (Auguste Rodin, 19th-20th century French sculptor)

Just think of the time Rodin spent contemplating and then designing his famous sculptures. There may have been times when he worked fairly quickly, but you can’t imagine frenzied activity when it comes to doing great art. Rodin’s thought is challenging. Deciding to wait, to think, to plan—all of that is a kind of action that makes the final activity work well.

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city (Proverbs 16:32). Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride (Ecclesiastes 7:8). 

 

Stop & Think: March 14, 2022

Truth

There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. (C. S. Lewis, British apologist)

Lewis concludes, “Then there’s never more than one.” Because we live in a pluralistic society, there is not just one view on life or its events and people. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and there are almost as many as there are people. What a relief it is to know that there is a source of truth and careful study of it will give us the right answers.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

Stop & Think: March 13, 2022

Excellence

Be intent upon the perfection of the present day. (William Law, 18th-century English priest)

Most people probably want to pursue excellence in their involvements whether it’s work, sports, or the arts. But there often comes a time when we’re tired or discouraged, and we’re tempted to let down and not give it our best at the moment. Law’s comment should encourage us to never take a break in the pursuit of excellence. Always work to be as close to perfection as possible.

But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. (Philippians 3:1:2)

Stop & Think: March 12, 2022

Plans

Don’t plan it all. Let life surprise you a little. (Julia Alvarez, novelist and essayist)

Having a plan is usually a good thing as we move forward in work or study. Strict adherence to a detailed strategy, however, may cause us to miss the joy and excitement of occasional spontaneity. Interrupting a crowded, detailed schedule can provide a moment for rest and reflection as well as a change-of-pace that may be really good for our morale and well-being.

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Stop & Think: March 11, 2022

Pain

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. (Chinese proverb)

Pain is a mixed blessing for all of us. Without pain we wouldn’t know that our hand is too close to a hot stove. We wouldn’t recognize that our body is telling us that something is wrong and needs to be looked at. And then there’s the painful admonition from a friend, pointing out a hurtful word we’ve spoken or an injury we’ve caused. Either kind of pain is a cause for change.

The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful (Ecclesiastes 12:11).  

Stop & Think: March 10, 2022

Setbacks

Not failure, but low aim is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail. (Bruce Lee, late martial artist)

No one wants to fail. Our plan is to succeed, to complete the task well. But, as almost everyone has discovered, things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes our project fails. A failure to reach the mountain summit may be discouraging, but it also may have been well worth the effort if the experience brought emotional growth and success.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22) 

 

Stop & Think: March 9, 2022

Speaking Well

If you can’t say nuffin’ nice, don’t say nuffin’ at all. (Cartoon character Thumper)

Seems like a pretty good piece of advice from a cartoon character, doesn’t it? Some of us can probably remember our mothers saying something like that to us when we were bad-mouthing a friend. It seems like a lot of people have forgotten that good advice today. How much better it would be if we could remember this good counsel.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:6)

Stop & Think: March 8, 2022

Sacrifice

Surrender is a series of choices, not a one-off event. (Craig Groeschel, leadership speaker)

Groeschel continues: “A God-honoring life isn’t based on a few big decisions but on thousands upon thousands of smaller, daily ones.” Or, as Pastor Chris Suitt put it, “Real life change starts with one step and then the next. Please take this journey – for your sake and the world’s.”  Those steps often require giving up some personal right or pleasure for the benefit of others.

Jesus: “If you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” (Mark 8:35). So, we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)

Stop & Think: March 7, 2022

Others

What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other? (George Eliot, pen name for Mary Ann Evans, 19th-century English novelist)

Eliot’s thought is certainly challenging. One of the noblest activities of a person with character is to be an encouragement to others. It’s a worthy purpose and goal for all of us. Thinking of others more than of yourself is a healthy ambition. To do so is to fulfill one of the biblical challenges that truly honors God and benefits society.

Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25) We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. (Romans 15:2)