Daily Stop & Thinks

Problems

Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems. (Sun Tzu, 5^th century BC Chinese philosopher)

Another writer put it simply, “Big opportunities arise when big obstacles arise.” Most of us try to avoid difficulties. It’s a natural response but getting in that habit will cost a lot of missed openings for learning and gaining. It may be difficult, but we need to train ourselves to look at difficulties with fresh eyes to see what profit can be made from them.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. (Romans 5:3)

Giving and Receiving

After all, you must have a capacity to receive, or even omnipotence can’t give. (C. S. Lewis, British scholar)

Gift-giving is easy, but Lewis suggests that receiving might not be so easy. Have you ever tried to give something to someone who wouldn’t take it? Maybe you wanted to buy their dinner or just offered to help them with some difficult task. But they said, “No, thanks.” Whether it’s pride or self-consciousness, in any case, learning to receive gratefully is important.

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance. (Proverbs 1:5)

Each Other

God designed us for community. Isolation robs us of our greatest level of usefulness. We need each other. (Tim Sprankle, pastor)

The recent, long-lasting pandemic lockdown has created isolation and a deep sense of loss, resulting in discouragement and depression. An as Sprankle points out, the loneliness and confinement have brought with them the loss of a sense of usefulness. How can we be of help to others when we can’t even move outside our house? Creative use of time with phones, the Internet, and social media will help relieve that sense of isolation.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. . . Encourage each other and build each other up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Virtue

Virtue is the mark of a life well lived, and it takes a lifetime to cultivate. (John Stonestreet, worldview writer)

Have you noticed how often we seem to extol the virtue of some notable person only to have them act in a way that discredits the acclaim we’ve given them? How disappointing! As Stonestreet suggests, integrity and character are developed over many years. Let’s encourage the promising young people we know to keep working on their character development.

I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. (1 Chronicles 29:17)

Love

If you’ve never received unconditional love, it can become hard to then give it out. (Author unknown)

Someone else put it even more simply, “One who has not received love cannot give love.” There’s only one way to have experience and that is to have it. How can you imitate what you haven’t seen? There are so many ways to say it, but the lesson is clear. To help others love, we must love. The demonstration of love will enable others to experience and share it themselves.

Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. (1 John 3:18)

Aging

When our memories outweigh our dreams, it is then that we become old. (Bill Clinton former US president)

When we’re young, we want to grow up; when we’re old, we wish we could be young again. But aging is a natural process that is inevitable and unstoppable. At both extremes, it is best if we can learn to accept where we are in the life cycle and make the best of it, enjoying what we are and have and working for the benefit of those around us. We can be youthful while aging gracefully.

The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old. (Proverbs 20:29)

Mistakes and Failure

Our worst mistakes double as our greatest opportunities. (Bart Blair, church consultant)

Someone else has said, “Failure is not the worst thing in the world. The very worst is not to try.” And Blair’s observation encourages us to make the effort to try again after we’ve made a mistake because it may prove to be an open door for greater success. That’s especially true, Blair says “[If] we allow God to work in our lives.

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. (Ephesians 5:16)

Perseverance

It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up. (Vince Lombardi, famed football coach)

Chinese philosopher Confucius put it this way, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Like a toddler learning to walk, who jumps back up when he/she falls, so are successful adults who take an occasional spill in their work or relationships. “Getting back on the horse,” they say, is the way to overcome the fear of falling. Perhaps someone can help.

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. (Ecclesiastes 4:10)

Be a Friend

You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. (Winnie the Pooh, cartoon character)

Some of us are not really out-going people. We like to stay in our “corner of the forest,” and we’re content to be alone for the most part. But a fulfilling life is not lived apart from others. We may have to venture out of our den to discover not only the beauties around us but also to meet and make friends who can enhance our lives—and to whom we can be a blessing, too.

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

You are a chosen people. . . As a result, you can show others the goodness of God. (1 Peter 2:9)

Accepting Advice

No one is so successful that he or she no longer needs wise counsel. (Mike Lee, pastor)

Have you ever known someone who seemed to know it all? At least, you got that impression if you offered an opinion or suggestion. Great leaders and thinkers welcome the ideas of others with knowledge in their field of interest. The closed mind that won’t accept advice will surely come to a place where they wished they had listened.

Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice. The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (Proverbs 20:18; 27:9)

Leadership III

Most leadership lessons are learned from a failure or challenge of some kind. (James Emery White, Minister)

White suggests what can be a positive result of such challenges: “You shoulder your way through it and, in hindsight, learn lessons you will carry with you for a lifetime.” You don’t learn much from running from the test or ignoring the failure. Determine the cause of the problem and how it could have been handled better. The lesson learned will make you a more effective leader.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing. (James 1:12)

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. (1 Peter 1:7)

Leadership II

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. (Peter Drucker, late management consultant)

In an election year you hear a lot of political supporters spouting the attributes and abilities of the various nominees. To hear them, you would think that the candidates are stellar in every respect and provide unending benefits for their constituency.  Achievement, however, may be just as important as attributes. Results demonstrate the true value of the leader.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. (Proverbs 9:10)

Wisdom is shown to be right by its results. (Matthew 11:19)