Daily Stop & Thinks

Good Change

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. (Socrates, early Greek philosopher)

Why is it that we tend to do just the opposite of what Socrates noted? When we don’t like our current environment, whether political or situational, we often criticize the status quo, demean the leaders, and decry our circumstances. How much better and more helpful would it be if we spent all that energy and emotion in creating a more positive replacement of what isn’t working right?

And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. (Romans 2:29b)

New People

If you approach each new person you meet in a spirit of adventure . . .  (Eleanor Roosevelt), late U.S. First Lady)

She continued “. . .  you will find yourself endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and personality that you encounter.” There’s nothing quite like meeting new people and discovering what you have in common and your many differences, as well. If you tend to be a loner, try stepping out of your comfort zone to meet someone new. It could be your greatest next adventure.

Jesus: “Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” (John 15:15)

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. (Proverbs 11:30)

Me, a Theologian?

A theologian is not a person who has studied systematic theology but a Christian who thinks about God. (Harry Lee Poe, C. S. Lewis biographer)

Often in a serious conversation about the Bible or Christian doctrine, someone will say, “Well, I’m not a theologian, so I can’t really know much about it.” The truth of the matter is, however, that anyone who considers himself or herself religious or spiritual does have a theological perspective on life and living. We don’t need the PhDs to answer the questions. We can look to God’s Word for understanding.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Discernment

Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong, but between right and almost right. (C. H. Spurgeon, late renowned British preacher)

Do you remember your parents and teachers trying to help you understand what is right and what is wrong? Sometimes it’s easy, like telling the difference between navy blue and yellow. But sometimes discerning between right and wrong is like differentiating between two shades of a pastel color. How we need discernment today in evaluating differing ideologies with sound-alike arguments!

Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. (Hosea 14:9)

Safety

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. (Helen Keller)

It’s human nature to just avoid anything harmful as much as we can, isn’t it? Don’t stand too close to the edge of a canyon and don’t climb a ladder with broken rungs. Those are easy dangers to avoid. But if we never learn how to handle the dangers we can’t avoid, we’ll never be able to maintain a sense of security and well-being. To be safe, don’t be careless but practice caution.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. (Proverbs 22:3)

Do Good

Be so good they can’t ignore you. (Steve Martin, actor, writer)

Did your mom have this in mind when she reminded you to “Be good” as you left for school?  Most of our childhood friends stand out in our memories as being either troublemakers or a “goody two-shoes.” The same is true of adults. Good conduct is always worthy of note. If you want to be noticed, try being really nice and good. You will stand out from the crowd.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. (Psalm 37:3)

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)

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)

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)

Zeal

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

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)

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)