Daily Stop & Thinks

Civility               

Civil discourse isn’t the answer to everything, but uncivil discourse isn’t the answer to anything. (N. T. Wright, British Bible scholar) 

There are a lot of pleas around the world for a return to civility. There doesn’t seem to be any venue where there can be calm discussion on the many controversial issues of the day. As Wright says, not everything can be resolved simply because we are civil in our discourse, but it is obvious that the lack of civility isn’t helpful at all. 

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. (Proverbs 15:2)

Doing Better                

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. (Maya Angelou, late American poet and author)

It’s good advice. Even when we’ve done the very best we can, improvement may be possible. Not necessarily making what we did better but learning how to expand or go a bit further in our project. Continuing to study and learn will reveal new ways to advance personally and in our work. Never stop learning and doing better.

I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things. (Revelation 2:19)

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul. (Emily Dickinson, 19^th century American poet)

Hope, like love, is one of the prominent themes in literature and music. It is, also, thought of very lightly as a mere expression of desire, e.g., “I hope it won’t rain tomorrow.” That kind of wishing may be sustaining for a brief period, but it can’t last or provide confidence. Biblical hope, however, is the result of faith placed in One who is the great promise-keeper.

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. (Psalm 33:20)

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. (Hebrews 6:19)

Lips and Tongue

He who guards his lips guards his life (The Bible).

Some of us are old enough to remember a slogan of WW II: “Loose lips sink ships,” an idiom meaning “beware of unguarded talk.” That may not be of much concern today, but the warning to watch your tongue is always appropriate. Your words may not create a war danger, but they can certainly hurt people, even to the destroying of a person’s reputation and character.  

Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. (Proverbs 13:3)

The Heart

What I believe in my heart must make sense in my mind.

We seem to be a society of romantics. Hallmark movies repeatedly offer advice to people who are struggling with decisions about their love life. “Follow your heart” is the most common counsel. Lovers give up job security for the hope to live happily ever after. Genuine love is important, of course, but better advice might be to direct your heart.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Friendship

No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever. (Francois Mauriac, 20^th century French novelist)

How many friends have you had over your lifetime? Not just mere acquaintances, but genuine, close friends. How did each one of them influence you in some significant way? Be grateful for those remembered friends and continue to be motivated by what you recall of them. And, more importantly, be the kind of positive influence your current friends can benefit from in the future.

The godly give good advice to their friends. . . The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. . . As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 12:26; 27:9, 17)

Change                        

If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person. (Seneca, first century Roman philosopher)

When things get tough, it just seems natural to want to go someplace where we can escape the problem. People who have tried that have often found that the same—or different—problems find them wherever they go. It often isn’t the place, the circumstances, or the environment that needs to change; it’s us. Introspection, meditation, and personal evaluation is the place to start.

A person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. (Romans 9:29)

Real Love

The nature of love is to bind itself to the loved one. (G. K. Chesterton, 19^th-20^th century English literary critic)

Love has been the topic of songs, poetry, and drama throughout the centuries. It often means different things to different people in different times. While there are a lot of common threads in its usage, the missing element so often, unfortunately, is commitment. If we practiced the thought that Chesterton shared, what a better life it could be for all of us.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Revenge

When you hit back make sure you have got the right man. (from Aesop’s Fables)

It’s just human nature, isn’t it? When someone hits us (literally or verbally), we want to strike back ASAP and with greater intensity. Have you ever noted that sometimes our effort to get even has been misdirected? We hit or verbally slammed the wrong person. Wow, what a tragedy! The better reaction is to “turn the other cheek.”

Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. (Romans 12:19)

Achievement

Nobody wants to show you the hours and hours of becoming. They’d rather show the highlight of what they’ve become. (Nick Cleveland, minister)

You may be overwhelmed to see the plaque-covered wall of the successful athlete, musician, actor, or any other talented person. What those awards don’t show—but what is behind them—are days and weeks, months and years of practice, rehearsals, maybe even aches and pains. Such worthy achievement requires a massive commitment of time and effort.

Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. (2 John 1:8)

The Simple Life

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. (Laura Ingalls Wilder, 19^th-20^th century American writer)

With the rapidly increasing technology of the 21^st century, we may find it difficult to keep up. As soon as we buy a new smart phone, it’s replaced with a newer, faster, “smarter” version. If we’re trying to keep up, we’re likely becoming frustrated and wish things would slow down a little. That’s not true with simpler, long-lasting things like strong relationships with friends and God.

Make it your goal to live a quiet life. (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Learning

Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. (Hal Borland, 20^th century American author)

Watch carefully and patiently, and you can almost see grass grow. But we’re constantly cutting it. Given rain and sunshine, however, it keeps coming back. It’s different with trees; they take a long time to grow. It’s almost as if they have innate patience and simply can’t rush the process. If we watch and think, we can learn both patience and persistence by observing God’s creation.

Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. (Proverbs 18:15)