Daily Stop & Thinks

Success and Humility

I don’t want to be successful; I want to be useful. (quoted by Danny Wright, pastor)

Wright continues: “And to be useful, I need to be humble. There are many people who are too strong to be useful, but there is no one too weak to be useful.” Someone else has said that it is not ability that is important; it’s availability. These are some hints for succeeding in life: be useful, be available, be humble. And be yourself; don’t pretend to be someone else.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

Happily-Ever-After

It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis. (Margaret Bonnano, science fiction writer)

Tales that usually begin with “Once upon a time…” often end with “… live happily-ever-after.” And we wish it were so. If we could read the sequel, we might discover that, as Bonnano suggests, it was more day-to-day. After all, that’s the way life really is. We have both highs and lows, and we have to work at it to keep a lasting sense of well-being.

If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies (1 Peter 3:10). For the happy heart, life is a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15).

Love

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. (Mother Teresa)

At sometime in life, almost everyone probably wishes he or she could do something spectacular—something that would bring great benefit to the world (and great fame to them). That happens to very few, but, as Mother Teresa says, everyone can do something of great value if it is motivated by and accompanied with love.

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

Learning from Mistakes

Mistakes give you more information so you can get it right the next time. Don’t fear them, just learn from them. (Keith Minier, minister)

Most people don’t like to make mistakes. In fact, some people won’t even act or speak because they are fearful of making a faux pas. And yet, experience is the best teacher and even when you’ve made a blunder, you can profit from the mistake, taking a lesson on how to do or say it better the next time. Don’t be foolish, but don’t fear mistakes; learn from them.

Whoever learns from correction is wise. . . . If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser. (Proverbs 15:5; 19:25)

Listening

Wise is the listener who doesn’t feel compelled to fill up all the blank spaces. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

Listening seems to be a lost art today. In many conversations, we are thinking about our responses while our companion is still expressing his or her thoughts. Consequently, we often miss their intent, and our replies are a bit off target. Here’s a good reminder: “The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen.”

You must all be quick to listen [and] slow to speak. (James 1:19)

Hospitality

It’s better to leave too early and be missed than to stay too late and be pitied. (Victoria Warden)

Have you ever had guests who overstayed their welcome? They just didn’t seem to want to leave, and you were eager to wrap up the party. It takes a lot of grace to handle such a situation. Maybe you should tell them what one parent told his kids (probably grandchildren), “You can’t come back if you don’t leave!” Hosts want to be gracious, and guests need to be considerate.

Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed (Matthew 10:10). . . . Always be eager to practice hospitality (Romans 12:13).

The Narrow Road

Roads were made for journeys, not destinations. (Confucius, ancient Chinese philosopher)

At first glance, you might agree with Confucius. The journey along life’s road, no matter its destination, is where you live daily. So, you need to think positively to get the most out of present living. On the other hand, the Bible indicates there are just two roads—one broad the other narrow, and the choice of which one you take is critical because of its ultimate destination.

Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Wise Choices

If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month. (Theodore Roosevelt, 26^th president of the United States)

Roosevelt’s comment may have been tongue-in-cheek, but it may also be too true too often. We want to blame our circumstances or other people for our problems in an attempt to excuse our poor choices or bad behavior. In the end (pardon the pun) the cause may well be our own ignorance or lack of discernment. Think carefully, make wise choices, and behave sensibly.

Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right. … A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. (Ecclesiastes 8:5; 10:2)

Health

It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver. (Mahatma Gandhi, 19^th-20^th century independence leader in India)

Have you seen all the TV commercials, touting silver and gold as the safest place investments for  your money? Or, the innumerable competing ads of the money-managing firms? You would think that the most important task in life is to manage your assets. But money won’t buy health and if you’re not well, your accumulated wealth won’t bring extended life or happiness.

And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. (Ecclesiastes 5:19)

Freedom

Freedom is liberty within bounds: liberty to obey. … True . . . liberty never sets us free to indulge our lusts or to follow our fallen impulses. (A. W. Tozer, 20^th century pastor and author)

On this 4^th of July holiday, we celebrate the freedoms and liberties guaranteed to Americans by the battles and acts of our forefathers. Tozer reminds us that there are limits to our freedoms. He describes the purpose for good laws. They are “to serve mankind [and] to develop to the full all the latent possibilities within our … natures.” Free to serve—what a noble thought!

For you have been called to live in freedom, . . . [U]se your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)

Future Plans

It is good to know where you came from. It is even better to know where you’re going. (Antonin Scalia, late justice of the U.S. Supreme Court)

Scalia’s comments in a commencement address are most appropriate for graduates who are excited about having completed their course of study, but who face an unknown future. The future is the focus of graduation exercises, hence the name commencement, which means beginning. The value of what has been learned is limited if you don’t know where you’re headed.

For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark. (Ecclesiastes 2:14)

Government

All government originates in families, and if neglected there, it will hardly exist in society . . . (Noah Webster, 18^th & 19^th century author)

With so much criticism of government from all sides, we would do well to consider the significance of Webster’s statement. With the evident breakdown of families we might be seeing the reason for the growing lack of confidence in government. If we were to rebuild families, perhaps we could begin to rebuild society and foster successful governing.

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. (Proverbs 28:2)