GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: September 16, 2018

Becoming

Who you are becoming is more important than what you are doing. (Jeff Bogue, pastor)

Most of us like to look at achievements and accomplishments to judge someone’s success. But Bogue suggests a more important issue: what you really are as a person. Another way of putting it: what you are is more important than what you do. Why? Because what you do reflects what you are, and what you are determines what you do.

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1)

Stop & Think: September 15, 2018

Mistakes

Just because you mess up does not mean you give up. (Clayton King, minister)

We all make mistakes; the important question is what do we do with them. Ignoring them doesn’t help; the consequences still have to be dealt with. Forgetting them likely means we will repeat them. King’s answer is “When [you] mess up, fess up.” Acknowledging our errors is the first step to recovery. Correct the mistake if you can and make amends with any you’ve hurt.

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. . . . Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. (James 3:2; 5:16)

Stop & Think: September 14, 2018

Time

“I don’t have time” is the adult version of “The dog ate my homework.” No excuses today! (Quoted by Dustin Speaks, fitness trainer)

Don’t we all feel rushed for time in today’s frenetic society? There doesn’t seem to be time to do all the things we want to do or what is expected of us. But, is time really the issue? We do seem to find time to do the things we are really passionate about. The fitness trainer will not accept excuses if we don’t exercise. We all should prioritize our time to its best use.

Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right. (Ecclesiastes 8:5)

Stop & Think: September 13, 2018

Encouragement

We rise by lifting others. (Robert Ingersoll, 19th century Civil War veteran, orator)

Imagine trying to help someone up a ladder. You’re one step above him, and when you pull him up, you need to go up another step to help him rise higher. Maybe that’s a helpful illustration of Ingersoll’s point. It’s pretty difficult to help someone go higher than you are. You have to keep advancing if you’re to help someone else do so. So, keep lifting others up!

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

Stop & Think: September 12, 2018

Humility, Part Two

If each of us hires people that are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. (David Ogilvy, Advertising Genius)

Imagine what a company would be like in terms of initiative, creativity, and growth if there were no superior or advanced thinkers. Ogilvy expresses the better scenario, “But if each of us hires people that are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.” To do so, of course, requires the humility of the leaders and their willingness to give freedom to their staff.

Without wise leadership, a nation falls. . . . When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. (Proverbs 11:14; 28:2)

Stop & Think: September 11, 2018

Humility, Part One

Admitting the limits of your knowledge and the possibility of error makes you a better scholar (and into a better person). (Eddie Clark, law professor)

The further you go in your education or career, the more tempting it is to take a certain amount of pride in your achievement. Clark says, however, “By far the most useful thing I learned doing a PhD was intellectual humility.” It’s a positive sign of maturity when a person recognizes his own shortcomings and mistakes.

Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. . . . Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. (Proverbs 11:2; 29:23)

Stop & Think: September 10, 2018

A Debt to Pay

Never was so much owed by so many to so few. (Winston Churchill, World War II statesman)

Churchill spoke these words at the conclusion of the war to pay tribute to the many who sacrificed to bring peace to a war-torn world. We must never forget the price that was paid for us to enjoy our freedoms today. In another realm of worthiness, we should be grateful to those who contribute today to our protection, well-being, and personal growth.

Pray . . . for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:2)

Stop & Think: September 9, 2018

Education

The roots of education can be bitter, but the fruits are surely sweet. (Aristotle, ancient Greek philosopher)

Much is said about improving education in our country. We seem to be behind some other areas of the world when it comes to science and mathematics. Whether that’s true or not, we can’t deny that learning can be a really difficult task. For two reasons: 1) Some things are hard to understand, and 2) so much more information becomes available every day. To encourage learning should be a high priority.

Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching (Titus 2:7). Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching (2 Timothy 4:2).

Stop & Think: September 8, 2018

Books

The difference between a good book and a bad book is that a good book takes you deeper into life and a bad book distracts you from life. (Rosalie de Rosset, author)

King Solomon wrote that there is no end to the making of books (Eccl. 12:12), and every book store and Internet listing proves it. As de Rosset implies, however, they are not all worth reading. The same can be said about magazines, movies, TV shows and all other kinds of media. It is important, then, that we limit our sources of input to things that take us “deeper into life.”

Don’t lose sight of them (the words of wisdom). Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them. (Proverbs 4:21-22)

Stop & Think: September 7, 2018

The Right Person

Stop waiting for the right person to come into your life. Start becoming the right person. (Dave Pacheco, pastor)

In thinking about marriage, young adults often create the perfect mate in their minds: “Mr.” or “Miss Right.” A good marriage counselor will remind them that perfect people are rare (the Bible says there are none), so the standard must be a bit more realistic. The best bet, as Pacheco says, is to be the best person you can be; that will go a long way to achieve a strong marriage.

Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20). A good person procures good things from the treasury of a good heart (Luke 6:45)

Stop & Think: Septemer 6, 2018

Opinions, Part Two

“But, what WILL people say?” This sentence has killed more dreams than anything else in the world. (Joyce Simkins Andrew, teacher)

Andrew continues, “What if other people’s opinion didn’t determine your life, your future and your children’s future?“ Isn’t it true that sometimes we are so concerned about the opinions of other people that we just don’t move forward with our ideas or projects? What a shame! We don’t really know what others will think, so why hesitate because of the unknown?

Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. (Proverbs 18:2)

Stop & Think: September 5, 2018

Opinions, Part One

You can’t reason someone out of something they were never reasoned into. (Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels)

In a day when everyone seems to have an opinion on just about any subject you might discuss, it’s very difficult to dialogue with those who are not willing to consider any contrary evidence. Dale Carnegies’ statement is still true: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” In those cases it’s probably better just to agree to disagree.