GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: July 23, 2018

Good Humor

Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. . . . It is the direct route to serenity and contentment. (Grenville Kleiser, 19th-20th century North American author)

Kleiser also said, “It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression.” In a day when more and more people seem to be suffering from depression, it’s a good challenge for us to be a little more lighthearted and to encourage humor. Ruth Westheimer said, “A lesson taught with humor is a lesson retained.” Whether you’re teaching directly or simply being friendly, try a little humor.

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. … A cheerful heart is good medicine. (Proverbs 15:30; 17:22)

Stop & Think: July 22, 2018

Parents’ Wisdom

The best time to give advice to your children is while they are still young enough to think you know what you’re talking about. (Evan Esar, late American humorist)

We might regard Esar’s comment as humorous, but there may be a good bit of truth in it. Remember how you thought your mom and dad were the smartest people in the world, when you were a kid? Then you went through a phase where your peers were smarter than your parents. Later, you began to realize how smart they still are. And it’s always best to heed their advice.

My children, listen when your father corrects you. . . . For I, too, was once my father’s son. . . . Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. (Proverbs 4:1-3; 19:20)

Stop & Think: July 21, 2018

Justice

It is inconceivable that we can be bored in a world with so much wrong to tackle, so much ignorance to teach and so much misery we could alleviate. (William Wilberforce, 18th-19th century English political leader)

Wilberforce was perhaps the strongest influence in his day both against slavery and incivility and coarseness. His concern was not only for the injustices of life (especially slavery) but also that society in general seemed uninterested in addressing such ills. Apparently, for many, life was not challenging. His example should motivate us to stay active in meeting today’s societal needs.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Stop & Think: July 20, 2018

Listening to Your Conscience

Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience. (George Washington, 1st president of the United States)

One of the concerns of people who say that “things aren’t like they used to be,” is an apparent lack of conscience in many people, both private and public. To some it almost seems like the times of the biblical judges when “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). It’s time for all of us to work on that “little spark … conscience.”

Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live . . . (1 Peter 3:16)

Stop & Think: July 19, 2018

Paying Attention

Attentiveness is showing the worth of a person by giving sincere attention to his words. (Bill Gothard, writer and speaker)

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, when you suddenly realized you were no longer paying attention? Such an experience can really hurt your friend, but it’s a good lesson about what seems to be the lost art of listening. Not only do you lose what might have been worth hearing, you very likely have offended a friend. It’s a courtesy to listen well.

Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. (Hebrews 12:25)

Stop & Think: July 18, 2018

True Friends

A friend is someone who is there for you when he’d rather be anywhere else. Len Wein, comic book writer and editor)

Sometimes when we are alone and in trouble, it’s not convenient for a friend to come alongside to assist. A true friend, however, will make every effort, in spite of the inconvenience, to find you and offer the help you need. Others may desert you, but, as Walter Winchell once said, “A friend is one who walks in when others walk out.”

A real friend sticks closer than a brother. . . Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? (Proverbs 18:24; 20:6)

Stop & Think: July 17, 2018

Contentment

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. (William Arthur Ward, 20th century American inspirational writer)

It’s curious, isn’t it, how differently people respond to a common event? As Ward implies, such differences may simply be because of a person’s personality traits. It’s like the old adage about seeing a cup half full or half empty. Perhaps, to paraphrase Nike, “Just drink it!” Maybe we should not respond emotionally but rather take advantage of the opportunities before us.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.  (Philippians 4:12)

 

Stop & Think: July 16, 2018

Disappointment

Disappointment is nothing but a premature conclusion, causing you to stop reading before the story’s end. (Ann Spangler, writer)

Have you ever been interrupted while reading a book and never were able to get back to it? Didn’t it leave you with an empty feeling, wondering how it all worked out in the end? Sometimes life’s interruptions generate frustration because we can’t get back to the task we left, and the temporary conclusion is often a disappointment. How do you handle that uncertainty?

We know that problems and trials help us develop endurance. And endurance develops . . . character, and character strengthens our confident hope . . . And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us. (Romans 3:5-6 paraphrase)

Stop & Think: July 15, 2018

Cynicism

Cynicism has never won a war, or cured disease, or started a business, or fed a young mind, or sent men into space. Cynicism is a choice. (Barack Obama, 44th U.S. president)

Not many people would admit to being a cynic. A cynic is defined as “a faultfinding critic, especially: one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest.” Who wants to be known as a fault-finder? When faced with difficult problems, we should choose not to find fault, but pursue resolution. As Obama suggests, “Hope is a better choice.”

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope. (Romans 15:13)

Stop & Think: July 14, 2018

Leaving Our Legacies

A legacy is not leaving something FOR people. It is leaving something IN people, thus leaving them better than you found them.” (Dawn Naylor, school administrator)

We often think of legacies in terms of inheritances—the estate that is left to family or other beneficiaries of a will or trust. But Naylor adds a dimension that suggests greater value than mere material possessions. What are we offering our successors whose worth will far exceed the value of merely temporal assets?

Don’t store up treasures here on earth . . .Store your treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:19-20)

Stop & Think: July 13, 2018

Success and Humility

I don’t want to be successful; I want to be useful. (quoted by Danny Wright, pastor)

Wright continues: “And to be useful, I need to be humble. There are many people who are too strong to be useful, but there is no one too weak to be useful.” Someone else has said that it is not ability that is important; it’s availability. These are some hints for succeeding in life: be useful, be available, be humble. And be yourself; don’t pretend to be someone else.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

Stop & Think: July 12, 2018

Happily-Ever-After

It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis. (Margaret Bonnano, science fiction writer)

Tales that usually begin with “Once upon a time…” often end with “… live happily-ever-after.” And we wish it were so. If we could read the sequel, we might discover that, as Bonnano suggests, it was more day-to-day. After all, that’s the way life really is. We have both highs and lows, and we have to work at it to keep a lasting sense of well-being.

If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies (1 Peter 3:10). For the happy heart, life is a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15).