Daily Stop & Thinks

Toil is no source of shame; idleness is shame. (Hesiod, 7th or 8th century B.C. Greek poet)

Today is the Labor Day holiday in the United States. Its purpose is to acknowledge the value of work, which was one of God’s first gifts to mankind. In a day when leisure and amusement activities are so highly valued, it’s good to remind ourselves of the value of a strong work ethic, which produces good both for the worker and the community.

You should mind your own business and work with your hands (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

Teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults. (Abraham Lincoln)

Lincoln didn’t mean that adults should not be taught; there’s always something of value that mature people can and should learn. Perhaps he was thinking of basic fundamental truths including moral and ethical values that will not have to be re-taught to adults if they have learned them as children.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6).

The difference between a successful person and others is not the lack of strength or a lack of knowledge but rather a lack of will. (Vince Lombardi, late professional football coach)

No doubt Lombardi used this statement in the context of sports to motivate his players. He knew their strength and he taught them the fundamentals of football. What he felt they lacked was a greater determination to put their best effort into winning games. It has a fitting application to all of life, too. So, add your will to your abilities to achieve success.

And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Colossians 3:23).

Peace is not an external environment but an internal one. (Quoted by Kary Oberbrunner, motivational speaker and writer)

In a world torn with conflict—both personal and global—we often long for the laying down of arms and the end of physical battles. The goal of worldwide peace may be unattainable by human means. But we can enjoy internal peace, which, by the way, could be the first step to a wider, external peace. Inner peace can result in outward harmony.

Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” . . . “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 14:27; 16:33)

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).