Daily Stop & Thinks

Values last longer than financial gain or mere public recognition. (Jesse Deloe, writer and editor)

There’s little you can do to guarantee the safety of your financial investments. The stock market may rise, but now and then it falls, too. That’s like reputations sometimes. Fame is often very fleeting. The athlete may be praised highly for his or her achievement in one event and become the goat the next time around. So, hitch your wagon to lasting values.

If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. (1 Corinthians 3:18-19)

Everything you want in the world is just right outside your comfort zone. Every single thing you could possibly want! (Jamie Lee Curtis, actress and author)

To many of us this sentence might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there is a lesson to be learned. We so often are trapped in a figurative “box.” We don’t want to venture into an experience that we’re not familiar with and may not feel prepared for. But when we stay in our comfort zone, we may miss much that’s just a step away.

God had planned something better for us. (Hebrews 11:40)

The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn. (Cicero, 1^st & 2^nd century B.C. Roman philosopher)

Today, authority is often questioned. We prize our Independence and disparage the influence of duly appointed leaders. Cicero spoke of a different problem: teachers who flaunt their authority. When we have positions of influence, we must always be ready to listen with an open mind to the ideas of our followers.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. (Romans 13:1)

Vision … is essential for survival. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

Swindoll continues: “[Vision] is spawned by faith, sustained by hope, sparked by imagination and strengthened by enthusiasm. It is greater than sight, deeper than a dream, broader than an idea.” We all like to see the end before we begin, but that takes faith and is accomplished by persistent effort.

Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. (Habakkuk 2:2)

Ideas [can] stand on their own. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 20^th century pastor and martyr)

Great minds discuss ideas. But to support our personal opinions, we often look for analogies or axioms that will win the argument of ideas. As Bonhoeffer suggests, however, ideas that reflect truth do not need to be propped up. We must search diligently for what is really true. Abe Tannenbaum argues that we “can afford to wait for the right ideas.”

Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge. (1 Timothy 6:20)

The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge. (Elbert Hubbard, American writer and publisher)

Teachers might ask themselves, “Are we creating merely satisfied students or motivating curious learners?” Good teaching is far more than merely transferring knowledge from the mentor to the student. It should also create in students a dissatisfaction with their current ideas, so they will pursue greater understanding and discover deeper truths.

[Some evil doers are] always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7)

Readers are leaders. (Michael Hyatt, author and publisher)

Conversely, leaders are readers. Hyatt continues: “Reading makes us better thinkers, improves our people skills, and helps us master communication.” Eric Metaxas, another current author writes, “If you want to change the world pick up a book and read.” How can we find time to read in our busy lives? Exchange TV and social media time for reading time.

Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture. (1 Timothy 4:13)

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex. It takes genius to move in the opposite direction. (E. F. Schumacher, 20^th century British economist)

In the United States, April 1 is jokingly referred to as “April Fools’ Day,” often involving pranks and jokes played on unsuspecting “victims.” Schumacher takes a more serious view when he suggests that the really foolish person is one who wants to accomplish the grandiose rather than achieve the wise and more beneficial purpose.

The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. (Proverbs 24:7)

I’m continually reminded that most times influence is not big and flashy. It’s not done in large gulps or in front of the masses, but in small quiet doses over long periods of time. (Suanne Camfield, writer and speaker)

We would like to think that we can have a positive influence on others, and we look for some great opportunity to make a big contribution into their lives. But, as Camfield suggests, the most frequent occasions we have to positively affect someone are usually simple, ordinary chances to encourage, motivate, or challenge a companion.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

All human beings are alike in seeking happiness. Where they differ is in the objects from which they seek it. (Os Guinness, British social critic)

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are the rights of Americans, according to the Declaration of Independence. But, where do we look for happiness? Fulfilling work? A happy home? Growing investments? The pleasures of life? Success in business, sports, entertainment? Some are worthy involvements, but lasting joy is to be sought elsewhere.

To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness. (Ecclesiastes 2:26)

Always remember, the closer you get to realizing a dream or breakthrough, the greater the resistance becomes. Don’t stop! It’s just a test. (Jon Gordon, leadership author and speaker)

After things have gone well in your pursuit of a particular goal or achievement, do you sometimes run into a “wall”? Perhaps, it’s a perplexing puzzle to figure out or a time-sensitive delay to overcome. In any case, as Gordon suggests, don’t let the present difficulty prevent you from accomplishing your goal. Keep working hard at it.

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it. (2 Corinthians 8:11)

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it. (Martin Luther King, Jr, 20^th century civil rights leader)

The violence and acrimony that we see demonstrated on television in the evening news seems to reflect a growing presence of hatred across our country. Whether it’s racial, political, or religious, it is dangerous and can be fatal to consensus-building and unity. The antidote, of course, is a love that seeks the best for others, not for selfish gain.

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. (Proverbs 10:12)