Daily Stop & Thinks

Progress

We should always strive for excellence, but going for perfection may hinder real progress. (quoted by Craig Groeschel, leadership speaker)

Others have put it this way, “Perfection is the roadblock to progress.” While exactness may be essential in rocket science or brain surgery, in most other areas of endeavor, the goal of perfectionism will likely cause delays and redundant efforts in achieving a desired end. We should always strive for excellence, but striving for perfection may hinder real progress.

The Apostle Paul: “I don’t mean to say that I have already . . . reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” (Philippians 3:12)

Willpower

Can comes after will. Ability comes after availability. (Gabriella Farro, overseas social worker)

These comments were made recently at a global leadership summit. The two brief sentences help us understand the order of successful activity. Until you have the desire (will) to accomplish something, you won’t be able (can) to do it. Likewise, you have to make yourself available to pursue worthy ends before you will be able to exercise the skill to reach your goals.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (Colossians 3:23)

Law

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. (Plato, 5^th century BC philosopher)

Things haven’t changed much since Plato’s day, have they? Rules aren’t needed to keep good people in line. It’s the bad guys that need regulation; too often, they just ignore the rules. We don’t need more laws; we need people to admit their wrong-doing and begin to change the way they live. Imagine what that might do! Peace and safety might well be the result.

Young people who obey the law are wise . . .  whoever obeys the law is joyful. (Proverbs 28:7; 29:18)

Others

Boredom doesn’t come from nothing to do; boredom comes from nothing to live for. (Dennis Prager, radio talk host)

Remember the childhood cry, “I don’t have anything to do” while sitting amid a roomful of toys? Even adults sometimes seem to feel the same way. Prager’s observation is well worth thinking about. It isn’t really that there’s nothing to do; life is filled with all kinds of activity to be involved in. The real question is, “What do I want to live for?”

Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25).

Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. (1 Peter 4:11)

The Future

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”

These words have been attributed (probably incorrectly) to a former chairman of IBM. They are often cited as among the “dunderheaded tech predictions.” Looking back on the unbelievable proliferation of computers, it’s easy to make such a judgment now. It is a good warning, however, to be less skeptical of strategic thinking. Who knows what the future holds?

Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions… No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. (Ecclesiastes 10:13-14)

Live!

Life is to be lived…And you don’t do that by sitting around. (Katherine Hepburn, late actress)

“Couch potato” is a term often applied to someone who just sits around, usually watching TV. But it could well be used to describe any number of people who just seem to be waiting for something to happen to motivate them into action of some kind. They are not involved in life, so they get very little out of it. It’s time to experience its benefits. Jump into life.

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! (Proverbs 6:6)

Character

Doing is usually connected with a vocation or career . . . Being is much deeper. (Charles Swindoll, pastor, author)

One has to do with how we make a living. The other relates to character, who we are, and how we make a life. When we meet new people, we often ask what they do, expecting an answer relating to where they work or what their job is. That may be easy to answer. The question of who they are may take a while to discover. True character is revealed only through time.

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

Life Worth Living

The unexamined life is not worth living. (Socrates, 4^th century BC Greek philosopher)

Why do you do what you do? Do you ever stop to think about your reasons for choosing to do, say, and act, as you do? If you’re just “going through unexamined motions,” as writer Chuck Swindoll says, “you’ve really stopped living and started [just] exiting.” Certainly, there’s more to life than that. It’s time to give careful thought to your life and what you hope to do with it.

 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13)

The Measure of a Man

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. (Samuel Johnson, 18^th century English writer)

“Quid pro Quo” is a phrase we hear sometimes when politicians are looking for reasons to discredit the testimony or activity of a rival. The Latin phrase suggests an exchange as in “you do something for me and I’ll do something for you.” Johnson lays out a higher standard for judging one’s ethical conduct. We should all strive to live up to it.

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. (Philippians 1:27)

Knowledge

The value of knowledge is in the use of it. (William Barton, late clergyman and author)

It is said that on average human knowledge is doubling every 13 months, and IBM predicts that the build out of the “internet of things” will lead to the doubling of knowledge every 12 hours. If we could begin to capture even a small portion of all that learning, what would we do with it? As Barton suggests, knowledge has value only in its use. Take care to use it well!

These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. (Proverbs 1:4)

Heart

When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out, because that’s what’s inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside. (Wayne Dyer, self-help author)

We all run into those times when we feel “squeezed.” Whether it is family problems, financial difficulties, or any other of a dozen scenarios, we may be pressed almost beyond bearing. As Dyer suggests, that’s the time when our response really demonstrates what we’re made of. It’s the time when our integrity and true character are revealed. What are you made of?

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. (Matthew 15:18)

Words

A bird that you set free may be caught again, but a word that escapes your lips will not return (Jewish proverb)

We need to be reminded of this truth periodically. It’s so easy to let our words fly freely either before we think or without thinking at all. The more free-speaking we are, the more the danger of a slip of the tongue. We often hurt people when we’re just trying to be funny, and maybe that’s the worst kind of hurt. Guard your tongue; set a guard on your lips. Speak gently.

Gentle words are a tree of life . . . Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. (Proverbs 15:4; 21:23)