Daily Stop & Thinks

Abilities

Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade? (Benjamin Franklin)

Does anyone remember sundials? If there are any today, they are probably only for ornamental use in a flower garden. They’re of little value when everyone has a watch or a Smartphone. Of course, they were only good in daylight with the sun shining. Franklin’s analogy is challenging. Your God-given abilities are not for you alone; they are to be used for the good of others.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:10)

Light

All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. (Breathe Partners)

You can snuff out a candle to bring the room into complete darkness, but as long as the candle is lit, the darkness will be incomplete. It’s amazing what a little light can do—light the pathway, reveal a hidden object, enable you to read—its value is almost unlimited. The challenge, of course, is for us to bring light into dark situations, perhaps into the life of a darkened soul.

You are the light of the world . . .  let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:14, 16)

Training

He who does the work is not so profitably employed as he who multiplies the doers. (John Mott, 19th-20th centuries YMCA leader)

Good work is important, and it is appropriate to acknowledge the accomplishments of a good worker. But, if that good work is to be continued, Mott’s point is even more important. Are we preparing others to be able to carry the good work into the future? If not, we will be at a loss when the good work can’t be done. It would be good for every worker to train another one.

Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. (Luke 6:40)

Leading

He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk. (African proverb)

That’s seems obvious. But author Kenneth J. Brown takes a different view; he says, “Don’t worry about how few are following today, if you are leading the way into tomorrow.” If after a while there is still no one following you, I suspect, that Brown would agree with the African proverb. So, be sure you’re heading in the right direction before you ask others to follow.

So follow the steps of the good, and stay on the paths of the righteous. (Proverbs 2:20)

Disagreements

The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don’t agree with. (Eleanor Holmes Norton, delegate to the US Congress)

It seems difficult today to be heard if your ideas and opinions are different from the accepted (“politically correct”) opinions of those who seem to have the loudest voice. There really is no debate winner if not all sides are heard. Whether or not we agree with someone, we should grant him or her the platform to be heard just as we want to be heard.

Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. (James 1:19)

Poverty

It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” (Seneca, 1st century Stoic philosopher)

We sometimes jokingly ask, “How much is enough?” The answer, of course, is “Just a little more.” In Seneca’s ancient view, that’s an indication of the poverty of one’s mind and heart. The biblical story in Luke 12 tells of the rich man who wanted to build more barns to house all of his produce, only to be deprived of it all by sudden death. Beware of such greed!

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Good, Better, and Best

He who stops being better stops being good. (Oliver Cromwell, 17th century British political leader)

To say that “Good is not enough” sounds strange, doesn’t it? After all, we always emphasize the importance of being and doing good. Another author wrote, “Every success is built on the ability to do better than good enough.” If good is good, then better is better, and best is really best. Do good, of course, but always strive to improve and do the very best you can.

I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others . . . (1 Corinthians 10:33)

Words

Words build bridges into unexplored regions.

The writer continues, “If you’re finding yourself stuck on something—whether it’s an idea, a place, a conversation, or anything else—it’s helpful to remember that oftentimes, the best way to expand your mind and branch out is with words.” Words are important; they are the most powerful means of expression, so choose your words carefully and speak them with grace.

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Colossians 4:6)

Greed

Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own. (Jesus)

Modern society seems to contradict Jesus’ words in Luke 12. Houses are bigger than ever, the stock market is booming, storage spaces are packed; automobiles may be smaller, but they are loaded with all kinds of bells and whistles. But do those things really bring a sense of security or contentment? The story of the rich man in Luke 12 will give you a better perspective.

Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.(Luke 12:21)

Music

When you’re happy, you enjoy the music, but when you’re sad, you understand the lyrics. (Frank Ocean, singer, songwriter)

Whether you like classical, popular, or rock and roll, when the music starts, life may seem to take on a lighter, happier feeling. But, when we’re not feeling so upbeat, we tend to think of the message of the music, and it may not be so encouraging, either because it doesn’t represent our feelings at that moment or it speaks too clearly to our sad state.

David and all Israel were celebrating. . .  singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments. (1 Chronicles 13:8)

My harp plays sad music, and my flute accompanies those who weep. (Job 30:31)

Rejection

Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better. (Steve Maraboli, behavioral scientist, speaker, and author)

Have you ever been turned down for a job or a promotion that you felt should rightly be yours? How did you feel about that? Being rejected is difficult for everyone, but some have discovered that what followed was just as good—or even better—than what they missed out on. You don’t have to welcome rejection, but, with patience and hard work you can learn and gain from it.

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us [and them]. (Hebrews 10:39-40)

Get back up!

Success consists of getting up once oftener than you fall down. (Oliver Goldsmith, 18th century Irish novelist and poet)

Everyone falls once in a while. It might be fun to watch a toddler fall as he or she is learning to walk. It’s encouraging to see how they struggle to get up and try again. It’s tragic to watch an older person fall, who may not be able to get up at all. Even then, when helped up, the senior citizen will continue to move on. Failure doesn’t mean the end. Get up and keep going!

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. (Proverbs 24:16)