GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: August 30, 2023

Friends

You only meet your once-in-a-lifetime friend… once in a lifetime. (Little Rascals, animated cartoon)

We may have a lot of friends, people that are more than mere acquaintances, but not really close. Friends with whom we could share anything and can trust to keep a confidence. But we don’t have to be limited to just one. We occasionally might become close to someone and note that they are “My newest best friend.” Thank God for the really wonderful life-time friends!

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

Stop & Think: August 29, 2023

Losing?

You learn more from losing than winning. You learn how to keep going. (Morgan Wooten, late highly successful high school basketball coach)

No one likes to lose. It’s not just a matter of pride. We often have really good intentions but sometimes we lose or we don’t reach our intended goal. But as many coaches could tell you, you won’t have much success if you just give up. Quite often you can learn something from the failed attempt that will be the key your future success.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Stop & Think: August 28, 2023

Worship

It’s better to sit in a bar thinking about God than in church thinking about beer. (African saying)

It may sound trite, but it is a challenging observation. Do we sometimes find ourselves sitting in a church service with our minds drafting into areas of thought and memory that are completely unrelated to the importance of the moment? It’s far better to enter into a worship service expectantly, enjoying the blessing of our active participation in the worship.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name . . . worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness (1 Chronicles 16:29).

Stop & Think: August 27, 2023

Injustice

It is better to suffer wrongdoing than to do wrong oneself. (Socrates, quoted by Bishop Robert Barton)

Crime is increasing at staggering rates. It seems that more and more people have no sense of right and wrong. They feel perfectly free to go after what they want no matter who is hurt. Socrates expresses greater concern for one’s character: “Surely, suffering injustice is terrible, but what is worse is the corrosion of soul that takes place when one commits injustice.”

The Lord Almighty: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another (Zechariah 7:9).

Stop & Think: August 26, 2023

Forgiving

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. (Lewis B. Smedes, late theology professor)

We sometimes find it difficult to forgive someone who has offended us, or we say that we can forgive but not forget. That’s not forgiving at all. Failing to forgive is like a cancer that lingers in the body but eventually breaks out into what becomes a lingering and fatal illness. To really forgive not only frees the forgiven but, more importantly, the forgiver.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

Stop & Think: August 25, 2023

Happiness or Joy?

I find joy in everyday life, not because life is good, but because God is. (Source unknown)

Life, with its ups and downs, becomes difficult for all of us at times. We seem really happy and grateful when “things” are going well, but we can quickly become sad and depressed when difficulty crosses our path. Happiness depends on happenstances—occasional circumstances that are pleasant. Joy, on the other hand, is the result of a right relationship with the giver of joy.

God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him (Ecclesiastes 2:26). Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Stop & Think: August 24, 2023

Habits or Rituals?

The things we do . . .  every day, often arrive without intent. Before we realize it, they have become habits. (Paraphrase of Seth Godin, author and business executive)

We often think of rituals as religious practices that we do habitually because they are part of a liturgy we’ve learned to follow. But we practice certain behaviors on such a regular basis that they appear to be rituals, also. Godin suggests that if we really give intent or purpose to our habits we can, as he says, “rewire our attitudes.” Let’s make our rituals/habits meaningful.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (Romans 12:2).

Stop & Think: August 23, 2023

Pride

Human pride refuses to face the truth. (William Wilberforce, 18th – 19th century British statesman)

Pride is an evasive human trait. It hides behind a lot of mental activity that judges others on the basis of one’s personal opinions. We rarely stop to think that doing so suggests that we’re sure our views are superior to others’. Isn’t that pride? We overlook it because we think that our education or experience gives us a better perspective. Beware of the potential results!

Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. (Proverbs 29:23)

Stop & Think: August 22, 2023

Values

Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other. (Matthew Henry, 17th – 18th century preacher and writer)

It’s a lesson we all need to keep in mind. What we do often speaks louder than what we say. Our influence has little, if any, benefit when we are observed living in ways contrary to what we claim are our values. We don’t like the term hypocrite, but that is how Jesus described religious leaders of his day who ignored the intent of the law they proclaimed. Be true to your values!

Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions (Matthew 7:20)

Stop & Think: August 21, 2023

Real Success

A common mistake among those who work in sports is spending a disproportionate amount of time with x’s and o’s as compared to time spent with people. (Mike Krzyzewski, noted college basketball coach)

“Coach K” led his Duke University team to five national titles. He has coached more winning games than any other coach. When you think of him, you think of his ability to develop skillful players, but don’t overlook his success in developing value-driven leadership. What a challenge to recognize that he was more interested in his players as leaders than in their success as athletes.

I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge (Psalm 119:66).

Stop & Think: August 20, 2023

Your Heart and Soul

To strengthen the muscles of your heart the best exercise is to lift someone else’s spirit whenever you can. (Dodinsky, author of In the Garden of Truth)

There is a great deal of emphasis on physical fitness today. A-fib seems to be growing in concern; many are fighting this and other heart diseases. Physical exercise of the heart muscle is important, of course, but Dodinsky is thinking of the heart as the real you, your soul. It’s from the heart that we are motivated to serve others. Doing so strengthens both them and us.

So, encourage each other and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Stop & Think: August 19, 2023

Anxiety

Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future but from trying to control it. (Khalil Gibran, 19th – 20th century Lebanese American writer)

Anxiety is widespread among people of all ages and nationalities. A lot of it has to do with concerns about the future—the 2024 elections, for example. In spite of Gibran’s observation, there is genuine concern about the future in general. His point has merit, too, no doubt. So, rather than worry about the elections, perhaps we should volunteer and help control the outcome.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6).