GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: July 9, 2020

Contentment

Discontentment is an appetite that’s never fully satisfied. (Mike Lee, pastor)

Whether it’s an addiction or just an unfulfilled desire, discontent can lead to habits that can destroy your career and hopes. Haven’t you known someone who never seems to be satisfied? They are always looking for something new and different or just more of whatever feeds that unending yearning. It’s a terrible way to live, but help is available. You can learn to be content.

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have . . .  I have learned the secret of living in every situation . . .  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Stop & Think: July 8, 2020

Justice

Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary. (Reinhold Niebuhr, late theologian)

The unruly protests and even violent riots of last month well illustrate both of Niebuhr’s observations. The hue and cry for justice for those who have been treated unfairly by authorities is a legitimate concern of free people. But the resultant behavior, which has become too common, demonstrates man’s need to hear and respond to the righteous demands of God.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Stop & Think: July 7, 2020

Friendship III

I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better. (Plutarch, early Greek philosopher)

Some political leaders seem to have a lot of “Yes-men” around them, always agreeing with the boss and never challenging his or her opinions. Plutarch would argue that they are not really good friends—either to the leader or to the people who follow. It may be difficult to hear correction from your friends, but you soon realize it’s what’s best for you.

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy . . . The godly give good advice to their friends. (Proverbs 27:6; 12:26)

Stop & Think: July 6, 2020

Friendship II

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Luther’s words seemed appropriate in recent upsets in our society. And they reflect earlier times in history as referred to by holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, “Let us remember what hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander.” The biblical story of the Good Samaritan ought to challenge us to be alert to support neighbors in need.

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, Love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27)

Stop & Think: July 5, 2020

Friendship I

My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me. (Henry Ford)

Pastor David Miller put it this way, “A smart friend knows what’s best. A wise friend does what’s best.” And then he added, “Be a wise friend.” Sometimes it seems easier just to say what is expected or what might make someone feel better. But, best friends are willing to say the hard words in a loving way that will help their friend to grow. 

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense . . . As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:9, 17)

Stop & Think: July 4, 2020

Freedom

May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right. (Peter Marshall, late chaplain of the United States Senate)

We cherish our liberty and freedoms on this Independence Day, and rightly so. We thank God for the civil liberties we enjoy as Americans, and we also want to share these freedoms.  So, we might well ask, “How do we express our liberty before others?”  We can enjoy our freedom even more when we make it possible for others to experience the same kind of personal liberty.

For you have been called to live in freedom, . . .  But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)

Stop & Think: July 3, 2020

Humility

A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant. (Anonymous) 

There is a downside to accomplishment, isn’t there? After winning a contest of any kind, there are accolades that make you feel good, but they may also make you prideful. You might begin to think you’ve done it all by yourself, ignoring the team or the coaches and trainers who contributed to your success. The loss of humility is too high a price to pay.

Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom . . . humility precedes honor. (Proverbs 11:2; 15:33)

Stop & Think: July 2, 2020

Teamwork

Showing your team they matter is the most important part of your job. (Sarah Goggin, chief people officer)

Team leaders, at whatever level, are often so concerned about the task at hand, progress in the project, or personal advancement, that they may forget what is even more important. According to Goggin, putting team first should be a priority. The more care, concern, and appreciation you show your team, the more likely you (and they) will be successful.

So, encourage each other and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Stop & Think: July 1, 2020

Smiling

Don’t let the world change your smile, let your smile change the world. (Ravi Shankar, late Bengali musician)

Does it seem to you that a lot of people are not smiling nowadays? They seem to be burdened by the threats of unemployment, disease, or protests in the streets. They might even be frowning, their minds filled with the troubles of the world, as if they’re carrying those concerns all by themselves. Perhaps, we could help them simply by sharing a smile; maybe they’ll smile, too. 

A glad heart makes a happy face. (Proverbs 15:13)

Stop & Think: June 30, 2020

Support

Support is only worth what it costs you to give it. (Source unknown)

Journalist Shane Snow wrote something very similar, “A value isn’t a value unless it costs you something.” “Words are cheap,” and far too many times we promise or make commitments that we can’t or don’t follow through on. But, unless we are willing to contribute to a cause or project financially or by giving our time and effort, our “support” may be of little value.

Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you (2 Corinthians 12:19).

Stop & Think: June 29, 2020

Conscience

It is not as hard to know what is right to do as to do what you know is right. (Source unknown)

As children grow, they begin to develop a sense of right and wrong. That’s what parents and teachers work for, lovingly correcting wrong and encouraging right. But knowing the difference between them is one thing; choosing the right over the wrong may be quite another. The critical issue is whether they have developed a conscience and learned to listen and follow it.

The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith (1 Timothy 1:5).

Stop & Think: June 28, 2020

Mercy

Mercy shown is evidence of mercy received. (Source unknown)

When you see someone who is gracious and kind to others, you are probably seeing a person who himself has been granted mercy and kindness. As someone else has written, “Our deeds of mercy are evidence of God’s grace.”  To live with a sense of peace and to live peaceably with others will often require a demonstration of grace and forgiveness.

There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you (James 2:13).