Daily Stop & Thinks

The tree that grows fast falls easily. (Bill Burk, late cross-cultural teacher)

Many of us are pretty impatient people. When we do our landscaping, we are tempted to plant trees that will grow fast, bloom early, and give us a quick return for our expense and effort. The trees that stand strong in the fiercest of winds and storms, however, are those that dig their roots deep and grow slowly. Impatience often spells disaster.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. (Psalm 1:3)

Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make. (Donald Trump, successful businessman and the 45^th present of the United States)

Today is Presidents’ Day in the United States. It was just one month ago today that our current president was inaugurated. We prayerfully support him and recognize the value of what he said above. Whether it’s in the realm of politics or personal life, we need wisdom in knowing how to invest our time and resources.

Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:20-21)

Love without Truth isn’t reality—it’s sentimentality, and Truth without Love isn’t sustainable—it’s terminal. (Ann Voskamp, best-selling author)

Voskamp explains: “Real love truthfully sees the flaws and still really loves fully. Love isn’t blind—love is the only way of really seeing.” All too often romantically-inclined people may be blinded by emotion so they don’t really see clearly. True love (which always seeks the best for the loved one), recognizes flaws but lovingly works to help overcome them.

Be . . . patient, bearing with one another in love. . . . speaking the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:2, 15)

Having faith, beliefs, and convictions is a great thing, but your life is measured by the actions you take based upon them. (Nick Vujicic, inspirational speaker)

Another way of saying it: “Actions speak louder than words.” We’ve often heard people speak about what they believe and then see them acting in a contradictory manner. People of integrity, however, let their honest behavior substantiate their claims of faith. Vujicic, born without arms or legs, speaks and acts out his firm convictions of faith.

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:18) As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26)

A life is not important except [for] the impact it has on other lives. (Jackie Robinson, late major league baseball star)

Sports fans will well remember that Robinson was the first to break the color barrier in professional sports. In spite of severe and hateful treatment, he maintained a quiet and non-threatening behavior. As a result, his life certainly impacted countless others—not only athletes of color but ordinary citizens who saw a life lived graciously.

We urge you, brothers and sisters . . . to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. (1 Thessalonians 4:10-11) The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. (Ecclesiastes 9:17)

Happiness is not having what you want but wanting only what you have. (H. Schachtel, 20th century rabbi)

“Happiness” is sometimes replaced in this quotation with “Contentment” or “Prosperity.” Whichever word you choose, the teaching is clear. Rather than always wishing for something different or something more, we must learn to live with what we have and make good use of it. It’s a lesson we need to be reminded of often.

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances . . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:11-12)

Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin. (Victor Kiam, late American entrepreneur)

Whether it’s because of fear or uncertainty, a lot of people just can’t seem to get started. They might miss appointments or deadlines because they’re waiting for inspiration or an outside nudge to get them going. As Kiam suggests, hesitation just might be the death of an opportunity to make progress. Don’t put it off; as Nike says, “Just do it.”

I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands. (Psalm 119:60)

Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right. (Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States)

Today we remember Honest Abe on the anniversary of his birth. His integrity was demonstrated in the many wise remarks attributed to him. There were people on both sides of the Civil War that thought God must be on their side. Abe’s sound advice is to be sure we’re on God’s side—a good reminder of how important it is to know God.

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)

If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles. (Doug Larson, columnist)

It’s a kind of “tongue-in-cheek” axiom, but it is something to think about. We are often so busy with the “important” activities of life—like work or community service—that we fail to take time to “smell the roses” or go fishing. Everyone needs some down time to be refreshed and restored mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest. (Hebrews 4:10-11).

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. (Socrates, 4th century B.C. classical Greek philosopher)

Change is difficult for many, especially as we grow older and become “set in our ways.” For such people, Socrates’ advice can be helpful. We probably don’t want to see change just for change’s sake, but if change is needed, don’t fight it. Instead, find ways to make it easier to accept and work to embrace it.

So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! (2 Corinthians 3:11)