Daily Stop & Thinks

A good character is the best tombstone. … Carve your name on hearts, not on marble. (  C. H. Spurgeon, 19^th century British preacher)

How do you want to be remembered? What would you like people to say about you? That will be determined pretty much by the way you live, speak, and act before you die. And it will not be the words and actions so much as the attitude you displayed and your integrity. It’s a matter of what people thought you to be on the inside; that’s character.

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity (Proverbs 11:3).

It is a poor thing to fear that which is inevitable. (Tertullian, 2^nd-3^rd century B.C. Christian writer)

Is there anything you can do about the inevitable? What will be, will be, they say. But, fearing it just makes life harder while you wait for the inevitable. Wouldn’t it be better to prepare for it? If you know it’s coming, don’t sit and wait; plan, consider the options. Look for ways to handle what’s coming.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

My best teachers were not the ones who knew all the answers, but those who were deeply excited by the questions they could not answer. (Brian Greene, science professor)

We look to our teachers as authorities, and expect them to know their subject fields well. But, no one can know everything, and the teacher who acknowledges his limits is to be respected more than the “know-it-all.” Teachers who are eager to find answers can instill the same eagerness to discover in their students, and everyone profits from the extended learning.

Intelligent people are always ready to learn (Proverbs 13:15).

To become someone you have never been, you must let go of who you have been till now. (Sam Adeyemi, motivational speaker)

There are probably many people who wish they could change their personality or image. They crave success, popularity, and an improved status in life. As much as we might like to be different, few of us are willing to make the changes necessary to become something that we are not at present. Change requires commitment and, maybe, help from someone else.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder. (E.B. White, writer and grammarian)

100 years ago today, the U.S. Congress established Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. It includes the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the major natural wonders of the world. Such a wonder ought to open our hearts to the one who created it. Gerry Spence wrote, “I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.”

Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty (Revelation 15:3).

To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do. (John Adams, 2^nd U.S. President)

This is Presidents’ Day in the U.S., a day to honor the men who have led our country for more than two centuries. Adams’ comment may be over-simplified but it’s certainly worth considering. To do good is a worthy purpose, but it can hardly be done consistently unless there is strong, ethical character behind it. Be sure to care for your “inner person”; be good to do good.

Never get tired of doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13). At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up (Galatians 6:9).

Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve. (Wilfred Peterson, late author and columnist)

There are many definitions of success, and this one could be helpful if you’re hesitating to move forward on a project you’ve dreamed about. Peterson would probably ask, “How serious are you about it? Are you really passionate to see it done?” If not, maybe it’s better to move on to something else. To succeed, you must give it your all, so examine your heart and move on.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires (Psalm 37:4).

You will never influence someone who doesn’t first feel accepted by you. (Mike Lee, pastor)

If your employee, student, or companion feels that you don’t regard him or her as a valued person with ability, you will certainly not be able to affect them much. Positive influence must begin with a positive relationship. As we’ve noted before “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” (Jack Kemp).

Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. (1 Peter 5:3)

Not everyone has the opportunity to peep behind the curtain . . .  (George Washington)

Some people seem to think they have the right to make judgments on just about anyone or anything that happens. Not only do they think they know what’s gone on “behind the curtain,” they comment on it all. They always know better and think they have the “right” answers. It would be better to withhold judgment until we have all the facts that we can’t always know.

The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged (Matthew 7:2). Whatever else you do, develop good judgment (Proverbs 4:7).

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. (Franklin P. Jones, author)

Jones may have hit a sore spot for some of us. Children’s behavior can be exasperating at times. We might show a little tolerance with adults when their conduct displeases us, but when our children (or our neighbors’ kids) throw a tantrum, we can so easily lose patience. Perhaps, they are intended to be our testing ground to determine how well we are growing in endurance.

We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness . . . and by our sincere love (2 Corinthians 6:6).

“Those with no plan are being influenced by other people’s plan . . .” (Chaim O’Deens, leadership & planning coach)

On the other hand, O’Deens concludes “. . . while those who have created the time to establish a plan are influencing those with no plans.” So, you are either working your own plan or someone else’s. That thought ought to help us realize the importance of creating our own plan to pursue and achieve the goals we want for our family and community.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity. . . . Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 21:5; 16:3)

He has half the deed done who has made a beginning. (Oliver Wendell Holmes, 19^th century physician and poet)

It’s called inertia, that is, things at rest tend to stay at rest. Sometimes it’s hard to get started on a project we know we should be working on. Actually, inertia also describes the tendency of things in motion to continue in motion. So, Holmes’ words should encourage us to get up and set our project in motion. As he says, half the battle is won at that point.

Finishing is better than starting. (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Now you should finish what you started (2 Corinthians 8:11).