Daily Stop & Thinks

Communion is not something you find, it is something you build; it is not something discovered, it is something forged. (Thom and Joani Schultz, authors)

Communion is having things in common that create unity. It might be in a family, a church, a school, or any venue where people of common interests associate intentionally. As the authors suggest, community rarely “just happens.” It has to be worked at and demands deliberate care and attention for the common good of the group. It’s a worthy goal to achieve and to maintain.

May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples (Genesis 28:3).

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. Most people listen with the intent to reply. (Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

Did your mother ever ask, “Didn’t you hear what I just said”? The correct answer probably is that yes, you heard, but you weren’t really listening. There is an art to listening. Covey is right on; in conversations, we are usually thinking about what we’re going to say next, rather than concentrating on what is being said. Many of us need to develop good listening habits.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen [and] slow to speak (James 1:19).

Work is not, primarily, a thing one does to live, but the thing one lives to do. (Dorothy Sayers, 20^th century English writer)

Sayers’ comment may seem trite to some, but it strikes at the very purpose of human life. When God created man and woman, he gave them a job to do—not only for His good purposes but for their own satisfaction and well being. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15).

You should mind your own business and work with your hands, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. (Socrates, 4^th century BC Greek classical philosopher)

Those ancient words could well be attributed to an observer of today’s political scene. Gone are the days, apparently, when debaters can be gracious and friendly toward each other after the debate has ended. Today, it seems that the debates never end. What’s worse, it often isn’t the debated issues that are discussed but the character of the debaters. How sad and unhelpful!

Remind the people . . . to be obedient . . .  to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone (Titus 3:1-2).

Faith makes things possible, not easy. (Church signboard)

Everybody has faith in something—religion, hard work, education, a political worldview, and many more options. When someone says, “Keep the faith,” what do they mean? At least, it’s an encouragement to be faithful to what you believe. However, faith is not always easy. The bigger question is not how strong your faith is by what is the object of your faith?

 In him (Christ Jesus our Lord) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12).

Without the element of uncertainty, even the greatest business triumph would be dull, routine, and eminently unsatisfying. (J. Paul Getty, late American industrialist)

There may not be many of us who could face our uncertainties with the same attitude Getty had. Too often we try to avoid anything that may be vague or uncertain. We’d like a better prospect of success with little or no chance of failure. Getty is probably right, however, that overcoming uncertainties and achieving success make life more satisfying.

Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times come, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

Too much learning and not enough doing will turn you into an “over motivated underachiever.” (Darren Hardy, author and speaker)

Can you really learn too much? The brain is almost limitless in what it can handle, we’re told. But most of us realize that knowledge alone is not enough to bring us satisfaction and completion. We have to put what we know to work. As Hardy says, we have to know and to do in order to reach our potential and achieve our goals.

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).

No executive has ever suffered because his subordinates were strong and effective. (Peter Drucker, 20^th century management consultant)

Some leaders tend to hire staff who will affirm all their strategies and decisions without dissent. They are what we call “yes men,” always agreeing with the boss’ decisions. That really isn’t good for the organization and its future. Good leaders depend upon staff who are competent and trustworthy, unafraid to give contrary counsel when needed.

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

There is no limit to the human capacity for self-rationalization. (Chuck Colson, late Christian apologist)

Did you ever think that someone is “fooling himself/herself” because he or she refuses to recognize a weakness or they think they are better at some task or activity than they really are? But, wait! That same fault is likely true of all of us at some time or another. Taking a careful look at ourselves with the counsel of others might well prevent us from tragic mistakes.

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought (Romans 12:3).

Happiness is like jam. You can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself. (Inspirational Line)

Do you remember what it was like when you were little and tried to make your own peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Not only did you get the peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth, you probably also had jelly all over your face. You just couldn’t help it. If we could just spread happiness like that, it would be a happier world, wouldn’t it?

A happy heart makes the face cheerful (Proverbs 15:13). Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise (James 5:13).

The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now. (Zig Ziglar, late motivational speaker)

We live in a generation of “me first” and “right now” people. Some of us have not outgrown our behavior as kindergartners when we always had to be first at the drinking fountain. And, like children, we still want our desires fulfilled immediately. Delayed gratification is a trait of adulthood and maturity that some of us have not achieved yet. But, it’s past time to grow up!

When I was a child . . . I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me (1 Corinthians 13:11).

Courtesy is the idea “that no one give any kind of preference to himself” (C. S. Lewis, British scholar and author)

Does the proliferation of “selfies” on social media suggest something about personal image and self-interest? We even see people “photo-bombing” others’ pictures—that is, inserting themselves where someone is taking a picture, so they are in it, too. Courtesy seems to be a lost practice today. As Lewis suggests, we need to think of others before ourselves.

In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:3-4).