Daily Stop & Thinks

Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going. (Beverly Sills, late opera singer)

We’ve all had some misadventures with shortcuts, no doubt. Following a recommended shortcut with your computer sometimes takes you someplace you really don’t want to go. And many wives have been distressed when their driver insists on a shortcut he “knows” will get them there more quickly. We have learned it’s better to follow good directions carefully.

Now, my son, may the Lord be with you and give you success as you follow his directions. . . (1 Chronicles 22:11)

Wants vs. Needs

[It’s] so easy for our wants to become needs, but when we live like that, we spend money we don’t even have yet. (Mike Lee, minister)

The marketing industry has discovered the way to increase sales of just about any product we can imagine. All they have to do is persuade us that we really do need the product they’re selling. Maybe we have convinced ourselves that we need a new car, when in reality, it’s just something we want. The advertisers have done their best to convince us that we really do need it. Often the problem is that paying for it is another matter. Beware!

Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. (Proverbs 30:8)

Friends

I think the best friendships are those that can stand the test of time. . . (Steve Pavlina, motivational speaker)

Pavlina continues: “. . . where the friendship is based more on who you are than on what you do or what you have.” When we were kids, friendships came easily, and we didn’t stop to think much about the kind of people they were or if they were rich or not. As we matured, we found that Pavlina is right. It’s people with strong character qualities that make the best friends.

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. . .  As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 17:17; 27:17)

The Future

Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. (Wayne Dyer, self-help, author)

Dyer continues, “The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.” That’s good advice, but there is a sense in which life is like a rehearsal. What we do now may have profound effects both in our future and in other people’s. Not only that, the Bible teaches that there is a life to come.  Our faith in God—or lack of it—and following Him will have an effect eternally.

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them. . . Store your treasures in heaven. . . Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Significance

Success is not the same as significance. (Chris Suitt, blog writer)

Winning a checkers game or completing a crossword puzzle might be considered a success by some. Winning a gold medal in the Olympics would get a lot more attention. But isn’t it just as important to work hard in accomplishing good whether or not you receive any attention? It’s important to make good choices and do good works whether anyone notices or not!

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? (Luke 9:25) 

Confidence

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. (Theodore Roosevelt, 26^th U.S. President)

Successful people just exude self-confidence. They never seem to doubt that they can accomplish what they set out to do. Perhaps that’s why others will eagerly join with them in pursuing their intended goal. Conversely, if you’re doubtful that you can reach your goal, you very likely will fail. Accept the aid of others, count God in, and move forward confidently.

The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. (Proverbs 14:6)

Revenge

An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind. (Mahatma Gandhi, 19^th-20^th century Indian nationalist)

When Jesus spoke of an eye for an eye, he was setting a limit on retaliation. It was the legal limit. You can’t ask for more than you’ve lost. As Gandhi rightly suggested, getting even leads only to more anger. He promoted peaceful protest. And the Bible urges us to leave the “getting even” to God. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” he says (Romans 12:19).

Live in harmony with each other. . . Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12;16, 18) 

Yesterday or Tomorrow

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. (Lyndon B. Johnson, 36^th president of the United States)

Sometimes we might wish we could go back and do yesterday over again. We’d like to enjoy those moments once again. Or we’d like to erase some troublesome event from our history. Of course, we can’t go back, but as Johnson suggests, we can and should concentrate on the future, not the past. Let’s plan to do better tomorrow, to redo past good and create new wins.

May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed. (Psalm 20:4)

Time

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. (J. R. R. Tolkien, late British writer)

Decision, Decisions. We all make dozens of them every day. What to wear and eat? Which letters to answer? The movies or TV? But really, there are only a few really important daily decisions. Tolkien suggests what may be the most critical: choosing how to use our time. We have it now; soon it will be gone; how can we best use it for the greatest benefit?

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

. . .redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).

Health

A healthy outside starts from the inside. (Robert Urich, late American actor)

It’s a simple truth, but many of us ignore its importance. Obesity, alcoholism, drug addictions, and other physical maladies are clear demonstrations of its truth. Far more important, of course, is the intake of our minds and spirits in a world afloat with harmful ideas about morality, ethics, and social issues. For a healthier life, we need to put a guard on our mouths and our minds.

It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. (Mark 7:15)

Ideas and Words

Ideas shape the course of history. (Thomas Jefferson)

More recently, actor Robins Williams confirmed Jefferson’s thought: “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” The ideas that Jefferson put into words in the Declaration of Independence had a worldwide impact as it led to the American Revolution and the establishment of the United States. Be careful of the impact of your own words and ideas.

The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. (Psalm 119:160)

Jesus: “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” (Matthew 24:35)

Be Strong

Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient. (Steve Maraboli, behavioral scientist)

We may wish that things would be easier as we grow older and that our mistakes would be more easily corrected. But experience has shown it’s useless to ignore the realities of life. So, Maraboli’s observation can be very encouraging. The difficulties may still arise, but if we are diligent in working at it, we can overcome hard times by our stronger character and training.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)