Daily Stop & Thinks

Words: Part Two

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. (Robert Fulghum, author)

But, they do: words can hurt deeply. Here’s good advice when someone speaks evil of you: Try not to take things personally. Life coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff write, “Even when it seems personal, rarely do people do things because of you, they do things because of them.” Perhaps, you can forgive and forget and try to speak kindly to your critics. It will surprise them!

A gentle answer deflects anger (Proverbs 15:1).

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them (Romans 12:14).

Words: Part One

Words carry weight because they inspire ideas. And ideas can change the world. (Kary Oberbrunner, motivational speaker and author)

Words and ideas are two important elements: Words, whether spoken or written, are the most effective way to express ourselves. Have you ever tried to communicate without words? Tough, isn’t it? When words express significant ideas, they can indeed change the world. But, as author Scott Belsky says, “It’s about making ideas happen.” Words and ideas require action.

Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. (Proverbs 12:14)

Attitude

It’s the internal attitude of the heart that is essential. (Jesse Deloe, writer, editor)

Did you ever hear someone say, “Don’t do what I do; do what I say”? You knew right away, didn’t you, that the person wasn’t living up to his own standards? What we do is important, of course, because our actions reflect what we really are, what we believe and value. But, it’s the inward attitude of heart—character and integrity—that determine what we do.

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. (Matthew 12:35)

Winning

It is very important who is going to win and of little importance who has won. (Attributed to a Rugby captain; quoted by Stuart Weir, British journalist)

Weir continues, “I think he was saying go into the competition and give it 100%, but when it is over, move on.” How we compete by doing our very best to win is important. We should not be satisfied with any less. But, when the games are over, the names of the winners are soon forgotten. (Who won last year’s Super Bowl?) Be known as one who always gives his best effort.

So . . . whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Counsel

Good decisions are seldom made in isolation. (Heather Dozier Riggs)

Many of us probably think we are perfectly capable of making our own decisions. We’re independent and self-assured. We’ve managed to come this far by ourselves, so why should we look for advice from someone else? Well, if experience hasn’t taught us the value of good counsel, it’s time we learned that the perspective of good friends can be a great help.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22)

Gratitude

Let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! (Inspiration Line)

On the other hand, as the author stated, “The unthankful heart… discovers no mercies.” Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving on just one day a year, if we were to maintain an attitude of gratitude throughout the year, we would no doubt find more and more to be thankful for. And our grateful attitude would surely be an encouragement to everyone around us.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks (1 Timothy 4:4).

Unity

The last 5 letters of the word community — it won’t be authentic without it. (Author unknown)

What is community? Webster: a unified body of individuals with common interests. Unless there is agreement on the things we hold in common, there really is no community; it would just be a group of people. The “i” in unity is central and important. Unless I work for unity within the group, the so-called community will be dysfunctional and unsuccessful.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1). And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:14).

Becoming

Who you are becoming is more important than what you are doing. (Jeff Bogue, pastor)

Most of us like to look at achievements and accomplishments to judge someone’s success. But Bogue suggests a more important issue: what you really are as a person. Another way of putting it: what you are is more important than what you do. Why? Because what you do reflects what you are, and what you are determines what you do.

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1)

Mistakes

Just because you mess up does not mean you give up. (Clayton King, minister)

We all make mistakes; the important question is what do we do with them. Ignoring them doesn’t help; the consequences still have to be dealt with. Forgetting them likely means we will repeat them. King’s answer is “When [you] mess up, fess up.” Acknowledging our errors is the first step to recovery. Correct the mistake if you can and make amends with any you’ve hurt.

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. . . . Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. (James 3:2; 5:16)

Time

“I don’t have time” is the adult version of “The dog ate my homework.” No excuses today! (Quoted by Dustin Speaks, fitness trainer)

Don’t we all feel rushed for time in today’s frenetic society? There doesn’t seem to be time to do all the things we want to do or what is expected of us. But, is time really the issue? We do seem to find time to do the things we are really passionate about. The fitness trainer will not accept excuses if we don’t exercise. We all should prioritize our time to its best use.

Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right. (Ecclesiastes 8:5)

Encouragement

We rise by lifting others. (Robert Ingersoll, 19th century Civil War veteran, orator)

Imagine trying to help someone up a ladder. You’re one step above him, and when you pull him up, you need to go up another step to help him rise higher. Maybe that’s a helpful illustration of Ingersoll’s point. It’s pretty difficult to help someone go higher than you are. You have to keep advancing if you’re to help someone else do so. So, keep lifting others up!

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Humility, Part Two

If each of us hires people that are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. (David Ogilvy, Advertising Genius)

Imagine what a company would be like in terms of initiative, creativity, and growth if there were no superior or advanced thinkers. Ogilvy expresses the better scenario, “But if each of us hires people that are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.” To do so, of course, requires the humility of the leaders and their willingness to give freedom to their staff.

Without wise leadership, a nation falls. . . . When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. (Proverbs 11:14; 28:2)