Daily Stop & Thinks

Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. (Mike Lee, American pastor)

Victims of crime often plead for justice. What they want is to see the criminal caught and punished, getting what he deserves. Pastor Lee would remind us that each of us is indebted to God because of our sin and all of us deserve punishment. But in His mercy (undeserved), God offers grace (also undeserved) in response to faith in the work of Jesus on our behalf.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

Leaders don’t create followers – they create more leaders. (Alex Absalom, church missions leader)

We sometimes say that a person is not a leader if no one is following him or her. Good leaders very likely have many who follow and are devoted to them. But Absalom takes the idea a bit further. Great leaders have followers, of course, but they reproduce themselves in their disciples, who, themselves, become leaders also.

Go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

There are two great days in a person’s life. The day you were born & the day you discover why. (Kary Oberbrunner, motivation writer and speaker)

In the formative years of our lives, we only begin to discover who we are. Our associations with family, school, and playmates help us develop our personalities and abilities. But, a primary question for everyone is, “Why am I here?” Discovering that answer will affect our continued personal growth and enable us to make a worthy contribution to society.

It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. … I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me. (Philippians 2:13; 3:14)

Obedience never produces love, but love will always produce life change. (Source unknown)

While this statement might be true, it can surely be said that obedience can be a strong evidence of love. Disobedience demonstrates a lack of love or respect for the one being disobeyed. Moreover, if you exhibit true love, you will see a change in life. We should obey not because we have to, but because we respect those who are in authority over us.

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to [God’s] commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love (2 John 1:6).

Contentment is the antidote to complaining. (Many sources)

Someone else has said that the antidote is being grateful. In any case, no one likes to be around people who are disagreeable, always critical of others, and dissatisfied with their circumstances. To counter such unpleasant behavior, don’t waste time using logic. Demonstrate your own gratitude for life and contentment with what God has given you.

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content (Proverbs 19:23).

An office is where an entrepreneur goes to hide from opportunities. (Dan Sullivan, U. S. Senator)

People who are gifted with unusual imagination and creativity often find it difficult to stay at a desk in an office. They need to be where the action is, where theory meets reality. In those settings, they exercise their unusual abilities to initiate futuristic ventures that often provide useful innovations for development. They find the opportunities for progress.

Do not neglect your gift … Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress (1 Timothy 4:14-15).

The illiterate of the 21^st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and re-learn. (Alvin Toffler, American writer and futurist)

Illiteracy is still a big problem in many parts of the world—underprivileged people who have never learned to read and write. Toffler, however, suggests that in the literate world there is a greater problem: people who can read and write but who have lost the ability to think outside the box, to question and research to find new answers in a changing world.

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. … Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. (Proverbs 1:5; 9:9).

Learning how to learn is one of the greatest skills anyone can have. (Mark Cuban, sports team owner and investor)

Education is an important issue in American culture. We spend millions of dollars in tax moneys and private funds to educate our children from pre-school through post-graduate studies. Is it possible that we’ve failed to teach the very first important lesson: how to learn? It isn’t memorizing facts; it’s applying truth to life. It’s called developing wisdom.

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding (Proverbs 3:13). Get wisdom, get understanding (Proverbs 4:5).

When there is no wind, just row. (Keith Minier, American clergyman)

To enjoy a good sailing excursion, you have to have wind. Otherwise, you will just drift with the current. That’s not a very satisfactory analogy to life when there seems to be no supporting breeze to sustain your effort. But, you can’t just sit idle. As Minier suggests, you need to row the boat, you have to exercise your own strength to move forward.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

What you’ve faced might not always be reversible, but it is always redeemable. (Jessica Cain, blogger, photographer)

When we experience difficult circumstances, whether physical pain, emotional stress, or other traumas, we often simply want to escape. We want to turn the situation around, reverse the negative, and deny its reality. Rarely is that possible. But, we can work hard to correct the situation, buy back a lost opportunity, or simply adjust to needed change. 

God will redeem me from the realm of the grave (Psalm 49:15).

What makes an idea worth spreading is not its novelty or scientific intrigue, but its ability to transform. (Tim Sprankle, American pastor)

Sprankle also said, “Information [by itself] does not result in transformation because information is impersonal.” Gossip, which is assumed to be information, is most often personal, but rarely intended for positive transformation. Ideas are important, of course, but we must be careful to impart truth that will help others grow and change.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).

To be rich is to be content where you are and with what you have. (Jesse Deloe, writer, editor)

The older and wiser we grow, the more we realize that having lots of “stuff” is not what it really means to be rich. Property and possessions can be lost in an instant. Family and friendships have a longer life and continually add joy and worth to life. What’s more, a true understanding of being stewards of what God gives us adds value to life and labor.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:12). Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5).