Daily Stop & Thinks

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)

When you hold grudges, your hands aren’t free to catch blessings. (Source unknown)

Someone else said it this way: “Let your hands be so busy catching blessings that you don’t have the capacity to hold on to grudges.” Another: “Holding a grudge is like letting someone live rent-free in your head.” A spirit of unforgiveness will keep you from enjoying life; don’t let the sun go down without ridding yourself of resentment.

Resentment kills a fool. (Job 5:2) The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone . . . not resentful. (2 Timothy 2:24)

Our life is the sum of the choices we make. (Mike Lee, American pastor)

One of the few things we can control in life is our choices. From childhood we began to make choices, and as we grew, the choices became more numerous and, often, more difficult. Those choices pretty well determined who we are and how we behave. It is critical, then, that we choose carefully in every circumstance of life.

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

Cultivate a calm and judicious life from the time you’re young, and then let your life ripen. (Cicero, 2nd century B.C. Roman philosopher)

What we learn and practice during our childhood will largely determine how we behave in adulthood. If, as children, we regard life as frivolous, we very likely will develop a happy-go-lucky behavior pattern as adults. Cicero suggests, however, that leading a more composed life and learning wisdom as young people will develop mature behavior patterns as adults.

[The Lord] satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:5).

The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear. (Ram Dass, spiritual teacher)

This simple statement is true enough, but it may have a deeper meaning than just being quiet. All too often when two people are conversing, the listener is likely to be thinking about what he wants to say next and really isn’t hearing what is being said. To benefit the most in conversation, listen carefully; you will very likely learn a lot.

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. (Proverbs 1:5)

Initiative is recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it. (Bill Gothard, speaker and writer)

We used to describe a person with initiative as someone who has the “get up and go” gene. He or she doesn’t wait for permission or advice; they just pick up the ball and run with it. To be successful, such gifted people have to be careful that they have correctly determined what needs to be done and have the capability to do it.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. . . . Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Proverbs 15:22; 16:3)

Those who travel the high road of humility will not be troubled by heavy traffic. (Alan Simpson, former United States Senator)

Much has been said about having a proper self-image. We want our children to have a good understanding of who they are and their character strengths. At the same time, we try to teach them to be humble and aware of their weaknesses, too. Pride seems to be born within us, so we have to work at the rare attitude of humility.

Dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)

I’d rather be in the mountains thinking of God, than in church thinking about the mountains. (John Muir, 19th century Scottish-American naturalist)

Certainly God has revealed Himself in nature, so Muir’s thought is helpful. The beauty of a sunrise or a sunset over the mountain peaks can evoke very deep and reverent thoughts about the Creator. But, really it’s not an either or dilemma. One surely can worship in the outdoors, but worship with others in a church setting is not to be overlooked.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. (Psalm 19:1) Let us not neglect our meeting together . . . but encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:25)

Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something. (H. Jackson Brown, inspirational author)

What do you see when you meet a person, perhaps for the first time? We may have completely wrong ideas about someone because of appearance, the way they speak, or their behavior. But, as Brown suggests, we would do well to acknowledge that this new person is human, like us, and remember that he or she experiences life just like we do.

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. (John 7:24)