GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: July 18, 2018

True Friends

A friend is someone who is there for you when he’d rather be anywhere else. Len Wein, comic book writer and editor)

Sometimes when we are alone and in trouble, it’s not convenient for a friend to come alongside to assist. A true friend, however, will make every effort, in spite of the inconvenience, to find you and offer the help you need. Others may desert you, but, as Walter Winchell once said, “A friend is one who walks in when others walk out.”

A real friend sticks closer than a brother. . . Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? (Proverbs 18:24; 20:6)

Stop & Think: July 17, 2018

Contentment

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. (William Arthur Ward, 20th century American inspirational writer)

It’s curious, isn’t it, how differently people respond to a common event? As Ward implies, such differences may simply be because of a person’s personality traits. It’s like the old adage about seeing a cup half full or half empty. Perhaps, to paraphrase Nike, “Just drink it!” Maybe we should not respond emotionally but rather take advantage of the opportunities before us.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.  (Philippians 4:12)

 

Stop & Think: July 16, 2018

Disappointment

Disappointment is nothing but a premature conclusion, causing you to stop reading before the story’s end. (Ann Spangler, writer)

Have you ever been interrupted while reading a book and never were able to get back to it? Didn’t it leave you with an empty feeling, wondering how it all worked out in the end? Sometimes life’s interruptions generate frustration because we can’t get back to the task we left, and the temporary conclusion is often a disappointment. How do you handle that uncertainty?

We know that problems and trials help us develop endurance. And endurance develops . . . character, and character strengthens our confident hope . . . And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us. (Romans 3:5-6 paraphrase)

Stop & Think: July 15, 2018

Cynicism

Cynicism has never won a war, or cured disease, or started a business, or fed a young mind, or sent men into space. Cynicism is a choice. (Barack Obama, 44th U.S. president)

Not many people would admit to being a cynic. A cynic is defined as “a faultfinding critic, especially: one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest.” Who wants to be known as a fault-finder? When faced with difficult problems, we should choose not to find fault, but pursue resolution. As Obama suggests, “Hope is a better choice.”

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope. (Romans 15:13)

Stop & Think: July 14, 2018

Leaving Our Legacies

A legacy is not leaving something FOR people. It is leaving something IN people, thus leaving them better than you found them.” (Dawn Naylor, school administrator)

We often think of legacies in terms of inheritances—the estate that is left to family or other beneficiaries of a will or trust. But Naylor adds a dimension that suggests greater value than mere material possessions. What are we offering our successors whose worth will far exceed the value of merely temporal assets?

Don’t store up treasures here on earth . . .Store your treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:19-20)

Stop & Think: July 13, 2018

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)

Stop & Think: July 12, 2018

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).

Stop & Think: July 11, 2018

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).

Stop & Think: July 10, 2018

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)

Stop & Think: July 9, 2018

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)

Stop & Think: July 8, 2018

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).

Stop & Think: July 7, 2018

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)