Daily Stop & Thinks

Go Ahead!

There are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way'” C. S. Lewis (British author).

Do you remember ever wanting to do something your mother didn’t want you to do? You begged and pleaded until finally, she said, “Okay, if that’s what you want, go ahead; but, remember I didn’t want you to do it.” Talk about a spoiler! You did what you wanted and felt guilty the entire time, didn’t you? That’s the way God might speak to us, too.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done (Romans 1:28).

Freedom

None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license (John Milton, 17^th century English poet).

People love their freedom. But freedom has limits. We don’t let children do whatever they want wherever they want to. For their own protection and learning, we set limits. As Milton suggests, freedom without limits leads to license, people feel free to pursue their wants and desires no matter how wrong, or who may be hurt. To enjoy freedom is to understand its limits.

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).

Leap Day

[This is] a day where “this time last year” and “this time next year” does not apply. (Anonymous)

We joke a lot about today. Author Jarod Kintz says, “Every leap year I like to jump. It’s a good way to get my daily exercise in every four years.” If we were to take the day more seriously, we could have the extra eight hours of sleep or time for the long-desired special “day off.” In reality, of course, it’s just another day on the calendar. Give it your best; make it special!

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Storms

It takes a real storm in the average person’s life to make him realize how much worrying he has done over the squalls. (Bruce F. Barton, author and advertising exec.)

Life is filled with squalls—short-lived commotions. Although the rain and wind may last only a short time, it can really be upsetting. So are the little upsets in everyday life. They seem so big and difficult, but as Barton suggests, when a “real storm” comes into our experience, it does help us to consider why we spend so much time fretting about the passing squalls.

When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. (Proverbs 10:25)

Change and Growth

If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not really living. (Gail Sheehy, journalist)

Why is it that so many of us resist change? After all, change is inevitable. As Sheehy suggests, growth of any kind is impossible without change. As we age, we might fear that we’ll become so sedentary that we won’t enjoy life. To ensure a sense of well being, perhaps we’ll have to take steps to begin exercising, reading, learning, trying new experiences—anything to add growth.

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. (Philippians 1:9)

Friendship II

Every man should have a fair-sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends. (Henry Brooks Adams, 19th-20th century historian)

How do you respond when you discover that a friend isn’t as “perfect” as you thought he or she was or when you’ve been hurt by the word or action of a friend? It would be good to remember Adams’ advice at such a time. We all have our faults, and we’d have no friends if we demanded perfection. So, perhaps we should create a “cemetery” for the faults of our friends—and our own.

 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud . . .  and it keeps no record of being wronged. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) 

Friendship I

This communicating of a man’s self to his friend works two contrary effects; for it redoubleth joy, and cutteth griefs in half. (Francis Bacon, 16^th-17^th century English philosopher)

The math of Bacon’s statement is an oxymoron; how can something be doubled and cut in half at the same time? Math aside, it’s an encouraging thought and ought to propel us to deepen our relationship with close friends. It should be our aim to double our joy and lessen our sorrow by sharing deeply in our friendship.

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

Advice

Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind. (Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 18^th-19^th century English poet)

It’s winter now, and as the snow falls, it might be helpful to put aside the reluctance to shovel the walks and remember Coleridge’s analogy. It’s not always easy to accept someone’s well-intentioned advice, but when it’s given softly by a trusted friend or counselor and we let it sink in a bit, it may be a great encouragement in our emotional and social growth.

Those who take advice are wise. . . Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. (Proverbs 13:10; 19:20)

Weakness

You have to take responsibility for how you respond to… trial. (John Stumbo, author)

John Stumbo suffered from a months-long undiagnosed illness that kept him unable to walk, stand, swallow, or eat except by a feeding tube. He dealt with depression from time to time, but in it he recognized—as we all must—that our response to life’s ups-and-downs is up to us. We may need lots of help, but it’s our choice to despair or to ask God for inner strength to endure.

God to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:8)

Riches and Poverty

We regard wealth as something to be properly used, rather than as something to boast about. (Pericles, 5^th century B.C., Greek orator)

He continues, “As for poverty, no one need be ashamed to admit it. . .” Wealth and poverty are extremes which bring extreme responses. We cringe when we hear the rich brag about their wealth, and we are distressed to hear of the poverty which surrounds us. Use your riches (no matter how little) to benefit others, especially the poor, and assist the impoverished to overcome.

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. . . give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. (Proverbs 28:27; 30:8)

Encouragement

The fact that you are willing to say, “I do not understand, and it is fine,” is the greatest understanding you could exhibit. (Wayne Dyer, self-help, best-selling author)

When a friend shares his difficult situation with us, we may be so eager to help him or her with good advice that we sometimes rattle on without offering much help at all. Our misdirected advice could be more harmful than helpful. Dyer gives us good advice. We should simply admit that we can’t fully appreciate the problem and offer a hug and a word of encouragement.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

The words of the godly encourage many. (Proverbs 10:21)

Blending

There may need to be some bending to achieve good blending. (Brent Sandy, author)

Using the analogy of the popular smoothie drinks, Sandy referred to the multitude of blended families in our society. In any merger involving parties from different backgrounds and experience, a great deal of give-and-take is required to create a happy and productive experience. What a good lesson for a divided society. To blend well, we will have to bend well.

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. (Ephesians 4:3)