GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: August 3, 2018

Success

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure–It is:  to please everybody. (Herbert Bayard Swope, journalist)

Everyone wants to be successful. Libraries are full of books intended to help readers achieve their goals. Swope acknowledges that it’s really difficult to apply those “10 Steps to Success” in every situation, and he offers one very significant key to failure. It doesn’t take long to discover you can’t please everyone, so don’t try to. That may be your first step to success.

I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. (Galatians 1:10)

Stop & Think: August 2, 2018

Character

Brains are like muscles. You can rent them by the hour. The only thing that is not for sale is character. (Salvatore Eugene Scalia, late college professor)

As a teacher, Scalia certainly recognized the value of using your brains. He was in the business of training young men and women to exercise their learning abilities in order to serve well. He recognized, however, that “smarts” are not enough; you can actually get someone else to think for you and solve problems, but only you can develop character and integrity.

I will be careful to live a blameless life . . . I will lead a life of integrity in my own home (Psalm 101:2).  People with integrity walk safely Proverbs 10:9).

Stop & Think: August 1, 2018

Learning

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take that away from you. (B. B. King, late American musician)

Whether it’s by rote memorization, word association, or oral transmission—the beautiful thing about learning, as King reminds us, is that if it’s really been learned well, you’ll have that knowledge as long as you live. People may try to dissuade or correct you, but that only increases its value and permanence.

Jesus: “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge.” (Matthew 13:12)

Stop & Think: July 31, 2018

Learning from Mistakes

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes; art is knowing which ones to keep (Scott Adams, comic strip writer and author)

No one likes to make mistakes, but we all should admit that we can learn a lot from them. It’s also true that no one ever created anything of value without considerable trial and error, having made several mistakes before a final product was produced. Moving ahead with what you’ve learned from your mistakes, hard work enables you achieve a creation of worth.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Stop & Think: July 30, 2018

Living in Light

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. (Plato, classical Greek philosopher)

Remember what it was like when you were little and wanted a light left on in your bedroom at night? You unreasonably feared monsters under the bed or in the closet. A greater concern today is that some people are living shadow lives, hoping that no one will discover what they’re really doing. Turning to God in repentance is the way to a clear conscience and peace of mind.

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. (John 3:20)

Stop & Think: July 29, 2018

Confidence in God

Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God. (Thomas à Kempis, 15th century German-Dutch churchman)

Many people are so concerned about their self-image that they miss a more important issue. When we are unduly concerned about how people think of us and whether we are perceived as successful, we can become anxious and often less productive. But when our confidence (faith) is in God, we will humbly leave our image issues to Him.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (James 4:10)

Stop & Think: July 28, 2018

Expressing Gratitude

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. (William Arthur Ward, late prolific inspirational writer)

When someone treats us well or gives us a gift, we most often feel grateful and appreciative for the kindness of the donor. But, too many times, we fail to express our thanks promptly—and then, we forget about it. As Ward suggests, the initial thought of gratitude is not enough. For our own good and the pleasure of the donor, we need to express our appreciation soon.

You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well. (1 Corinthians 16:18)

Stop & Think: July 27, 2018

Good Planning

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. (Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady and political activist)

Novelist Lev Grossman wrote, “If there’s a single lesson that life teaches us, it’s that wishing doesn’t make it so.” Roosevelt’s statement, then, emphasizes the waste of energy that wishing is. If wishing is all you do, you’ll never see your dreams come true. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Work hard to fulfill your dreams.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity. (Proverbs 21:5)

Stop & Think: July 26, 2018

Being a Manager

The primary goal of a manager is to help team members discover their unique talents and then turn these talents into outstanding performance. (Marcus Buckingham, British business consultant)

Many people probably think that the primary responsibility of a manager is to accomplish the job that his bosses want done: produce a product, increase sales, build a widget, etc. That, no doubt, is quite true, but Buckingham suggests that the manager’s first goal involves using his staff to the best of their abilities. In doing so, he will surely achieve the desired goal.

Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. (Proverbs 1:3; think of managers)

Stop & Think: July 25, 2018

Innovation

Innovation is not born from the dream. Innovation is born from the struggle. (Simon Sinek, British-American author)

Perhaps this is just another way of saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Put more formally: “When the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it.” We’d like to think that an inspiring idea is what leads to new and worthy creations, but apparently, developing new and helpful devices comes from the need for them.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Colossians 3:23)

Stop & Think: July 24, 2018

The First Step

He who is outside his door already has the hard part of his journey behind him. (Dutch proverb)

That first step is often the hardest part of any project. After you’ve made that initial move, somehow it’s easier to keep going. Mark Twain concurs; he said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Planning and preparing for a project or journey is important and takes time, but there comes a moment, when action must replace preparation. Get up and get going!

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17)

Stop & Think: July 23, 2018

Good Humor

Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. . . . It is the direct route to serenity and contentment. (Grenville Kleiser, 19th-20th century North American author)

Kleiser also said, “It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression.” In a day when more and more people seem to be suffering from depression, it’s a good challenge for us to be a little more lighthearted and to encourage humor. Ruth Westheimer said, “A lesson taught with humor is a lesson retained.” Whether you’re teaching directly or simply being friendly, try a little humor.

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. … A cheerful heart is good medicine. (Proverbs 15:30; 17:22)