GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: October 24, 2021

Time

Time is a precious thing. Never waste it. (Gene Wilder, late American actor)

The Bible book of Ecclesiastes is full of wisdom about time. Chapter 3:1-8: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up . . ..” and many more. Verse 11 concludes: “yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” Stop to think about your use of time.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Stop & Think: October 23, 2021

Pain

A clown is like aspirin, only he works twice as fast. (Groucho Marx, late comedian and TV host)

When you’re in pain, does “Take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning” really help? Do you find relief in changing your focus by watching a situation comedy on TV, finding something funny to be helpful? It’s normal to look for ways to avoid pain. Prevention is a good start, of course. Another is to seek counsel and help from the only one who can give lasting relief from what is more than mere temporal pain.

[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:15)

Stop & Think: October 22, 2021

Teamwork

Teamwork: simply stated, it is less me and more you. (Anonymous)

Writer Michael Walters listed some factors required for good teamwork: leadership, effective communication, clear expectations, defined roles, and commitment. All of that is really helpful, but the late US President Harry Truman summed it up clearly: “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. (Philippians 2:2)

Stop & Think: October 21, 2021

Zeal

A great deal more failure is the result of an excess of caution than of bold experimentation with new ideas. (Oswald Chambers, 20th century Scottish Bible teacher)

Overly cautious people seem never to be able to get started on a project because of the perceived lack of resources or time or the fear of failure. Impetuous people, on the other hand, seem to care little about careful preparation; “just do it” seems to be their modus operandi. Somewhere in between are the careful planners who also have a zeal for pursuing their dreams. Caution and zeal should be combined carefully.

I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did. (Acts 22:3)

Stop & Think: October 20, 2021

Leadership – Part Two

Leadership is based on trust you have earned. (Tom Kight, business writer)

Kight notes, “A promotion usually includes an increase in authority. [But] it does not automatically include an increase in trust. Leadership is not authority based on a position you have been given.” Some leaders seem to think that their position gives them authority, but those who associate with that kind of leader will not respect his or her authority unless they have demonstrated their worth as a leader.

Kings and rulers make a grave mistake when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. (Ecclesiastes 10:5-6)

Stop & Think: October 19, 2021

Leadership – Part One

Deciding to be a person of character is the single most important leadership decision you will ever make. (Michael Hyatt, publisher, author, and speaker)

When we’re searching for someone to take an important position in leading, whether it’s a corporation, a non-profit, or a team, there are many qualities we look for. We want decisiveness, determination, self-confidence, a team mentality, and many other good factors. But Hyatt has suggested what is perhaps the most important. Honesty and integrity surely must be what we want most in a leader.

[God] grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. (Proverbs 2:7)

Stop & Think: October 18, 2021

Temple Care

Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one. (Astrid Alauda, author)

There seems to be no end to what people can and will do to their bodies. Externally, we see all kinds of tattoos, piercings, and clothing. Internally, many are affected by poor diets and lack of exercise, to say nothing about drug abuse. Have we forgotten that God wants to live within people who trust him? In that sense, we do indeed become temples, worthy of great care.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Stop & Think: October 17, 2021

Hope

From the bitterness of disease a man learns the sweetness of health. (Catalan proverb)

You really enjoy a sunny day after weeks of rain and clouds, don’t you? And winning a game after a string of losses is really refreshing, too, isn’t it? So, when we are in the midst of some kind of suffering—physical or emotional, we should remind ourselves what it’s like to come into the light after a long ride through a dark tunnel. Do your best to be hopeful and positive when times are tough.

Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. (Palm 25:5)

Stop & Think: October 16, 2021

Peace

Peace is not an external environment but an internal one. (Quoted by Kary Oberbrunner)

In times of war and conflict, whether armed or cultural, we all long for peace. It seems impossible to arrange it among people of diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. But there is a peace that can be experienced by individuals who have accepted the offer of the Prince of Peace. That could be the beginning of a movement among like-minded peace-lovers that could change the world.

Jesus: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.” (John 14:27)

Stop & Think: October 15, 2021

Knowledge

Knowledge is the most democratic source of power. (Alvin Toffler, late futurist writer)

Whether it’s what you know or who you know, it’s the knowledge that is essential. Even if you don’t know all the facts or details, if you know where to find them, and how to use them, you have the power to move forward. There is no shortage of information for us to find and use, but to use it well and properly requires more than just knowledge. How and when to use it is critical.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge. (Proverbs 1:7)
I pray that . . . you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. (Philippians 1:9)

Stop & Think: October 14, 2021

Questions and Answers

It might not be because you can’t find the right answer, but because you’re asking the wrong question. (John Maxwell, author, speaker)

English writer, Sir Antony Jay, put it this way: “The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a creative mind to spot wrong questions.” “Enquiring minds want to know,” but so often we’re asking the wrong questions, so we can’t really come up with the right answers. It’s not just who, what, where, and when but why. Questions of motives and reason most often will get to the point quickly.

Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. (1 Corinthians 8:2)

Stop & Think: October 13, 2021

Endurance

Where there is no struggle, there is no strength. (Oprah Winfrey, TV host)

If you help an emerging butterfly in its struggle out of its chrysalis, you may free it, but the little creature will not be able to fly because it has not developed its strength. It’s the “No Pain, No Gain” life lesson. Most of our lives have many times of physical, emotional, and mental stress. Persevering through them develops the strength and character to face the continuing challenges of life.

Endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. (Romans 5:4)