Daily Stop & Thinks

The moment humans value things, however intelligent, over people, they embark on the road to ruin. (Jonathan Sacks, British rabbi)

What are the “things” we might value more than people? Surely not the passing, temporal stuff we play with, collect, or store away for the future. Maybe we value intelligence and learning over people. But it’s the learner, not the teaching that’s important. Remember to love people and use things rather than love things and use people.

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them (Genesis 1:27).

Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. (Dale Carnegie, 20^th century American writer and lecturer)

Do you remember yesterday? Perhaps it was a really difficult day, and you worried a lot about what its concerns would look like the next day. Well, today is that tomorrow. How do things look now? Did worrying yesterday make today any better? Stop worrying about tomorrow today, so tomorrow you can look back at today and be content.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).

The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none. (Thomas Carlyle, 19^th century Scottish philosopher)

Confession is really difficult for some people. They have a hard time admitting their mistakes. In their minds, they are never wrong. They’re like the Fonz in the old TV comedy, Happy Days. He simply could not say “I’m wrong.” The words just wouldn’t come out of his mouth. How much better to acknowledge our weaknesses and work to improve them.

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

Change your thoughts and you change your world. (Seen on an office bulletin board)

Most of us are such active people—always busy doing something or rushing here and there—that we often don’t give much time to exercising our brains like we do our bodies. Yet, physical changes accomplish little without clear thought and good planning. We will be more effective in changing our world if we first make good use of our reasoning abilities.

I have written [my two letters to you] as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking (2 Peter 3:1). Stop thinking like children . . . but in your thinking be adults. (1 Corinthians 14:20).

At the moment of truth, you will not rise to the level of expectation, but will fall to the level of training. (Archilochus, 7th century B.C. Greek lyric poet)

Sometimes in our ambition to succeed, we fall prey to unrealistic expectations. We hope to accomplish some great feat. We think we can do it by brute strength or innate abilities. To ensure success, however, there is nothing more effective than adequate training—preparation that will enable us to do what we set out to do.

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7).

When you’re looking for joy, you will always find it hiding in your gratitude. (Source unknown)

Someone else has said, “Find joy by walking in gratitude.” In the “old days” people use to say “Thank you” a lot more than they seem to do today. Maybe that’s why we often think of those bygone days as happier times. Try saying “Thank you” more often. See if that doesn’t lift your spirits along with the person you’re thanking.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give . . .  for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Education is what remains after you’ve forgotten everything you learned in school. (Albert Einstein, 20^th century theoretical physicist)

Of course, Einstein himself was highly educated, so he certainly was not arguing against learning and training. He realized that there is more to it than just the three R’s. On another occasion, he said, “It is a miracle that curiosity survives education.” More formal learning sometimes suppresses initiative and creativity. Continual learning is essential.

[Admonish} and [teach] everyone with all wisdom (paraphrase of Colossians 1:28).

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. (Abraham Lincoln, 16^th president of the United States)

When times are tough, some men and women remain calm and steadfast, continuing on in the pursuit of their goals. Danger and misfortune don’t seem to be able to defeat them. But, as Lincoln suggests, a greater danger to many ambitious people is the possession of power or authority. Such high position demands a spirit of humility and grace.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. . . . God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble (James 4:6, 10).

Those who turn back, remember the ordeal. Those who persevere, remember the adventure. (Milo Arnold, author)

Sometimes life is hard, and we may be tempted to turn back—to retreat when the going really is tough. To do so, often brings regret. We find it difficult to forget our failure, always lamenting the experience. But, if we stick to it and complete the venture, our memories are more likely to be filled with the sense of completion and success.

No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

Exercising my authority does not increase my status or value anymore than submitting to authority reduces my status or value. (Quoted by Pastor John Smith)

Some people have difficulty dealing with authority. They expect instant compliance with their demands because they feel such conformity makes them superior and of greater importance. On the other hand, there are some who feel demeaned and of less value than others if they too readily yield to authority. In reality, of course, John Smith is right.

There is no authority except that which God has established. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended (Romans 13:1, 3).

God uses pain to show us that something is wrong and to reveal that we aren’t in control. (Source unknown)

Most people try to avoid pain at all costs. Yet pain can be valuable to us. It often alerts us to a problem, perhaps an injury or an illness. Then we can look for a remedy. Another valuable lesson to be learned from pain is that we cannot control things like illness or natural disasters. Then pain drives us to look to others for help.

(A biblical prophecy): Surely [Jesus] took up our pain and bore our suffering (Isaiah 53:4).

Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple. (C.W. Ceran, pseudonym for German journalist and author Kurt Wilhelm Marek)

Most of us can remember teachers who seemed to have the ability to confuse us by making a simple premise as complicated as possible. No doubt, all they taught was correct, but we had difficulty understanding the complex. We can also recall those teachers who had a wonderful way of making the complex simple. That is the mark of genius!

Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. [He] searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true (Ecclesiastes 12:9-10).