GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: May 6, 2023

Genuine Love

Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own. (H. Jackson Brown, inspirational author)

We think of love in many different ways, emotional feelings, romantic interludes, kind thoughts toward others, for a few. Brown has homed on the significance of genuine, biblical love. It always acts in the best interest of the loved one. Sometimes that means personal sacrifice, but the end result is blessing for both the lover and the loved.

For you have been called to live in freedom, . . .  use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13) 

Stop & Think: May 5, 2023

Trust

Without trust people give up on relationships and leave organizations; cynicism reigns and progress comes to a halt. (Ken Blanchard, business consultant)

Destroyed friendships, broken marriages, business failures—how many of these disasters (and many others) have resulted from the loss of trust. If you can’t trust those you work, live, or play with, those relationships will inevitably fail. Developing faith in others no doubt begins at an early age, but it is a life-long factor in any lasting relationship.

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones (Luke 16:10).

Stop & Think: May 4, 2023

Attitude

People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude. (John C. Maxwell., motivational speaker and author)

Our actions reveal our attitudes maybe even more than our words. And since our actions and attitudes are two of the very few things we can control, it’s vitally important that we guard them both very carefully. Make it your goal to encourage others, because the old adage is true: “What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say.”

Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing (Proverbs 12:18).

Stop & Think: May 3, 2023

Choices

There are two things you can control: your choices and your attitudes. (Jesse Deloe, writer)

Lao-Tze, legendary Chinese philosopher, expanded this idea: “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words. They become actions. Watch your actions. They become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character. It becomes your destiny.” We need to be careful about the choices we make; they may well determine our future.

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living  (Romans 6:16).

Stop & Think: May 2, 2023

Planning

A good rule of thumb . . . things take longer to happen than you think and then happen much faster than you thought. (Lawrence Summers)

It’s a good rule to keep in mind for any kind of planning like building a house or developing long range strategies for your education or business. Supply chain delays and hiring shortages can make a building project extend far beyond your anticipated deadline. On the other hand, pursuing a degree for three or four years may pass by so fast you fail to “smell the roses” along the way.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed . . . Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity (Proverbs 16:3; 21:5).

Stop & Think: May 1, 2023

May Day

We salute thee with our early song, and welcome thee, and wish thee long. (John Milton, famed 17th century English poet)

Those were Milton’s words, celebrating the coming of May. May Day applauds the height of spring and the flowering of life. Austrian poet Rainer Maria Wilke put it this way: “Everything is blooming most restlessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.” Spring always emphasizes the joy of renewed life.

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17)  

Stop & Think: April 30, 2023

Look Up!

I avoid looking forward or backward and try to keep looking upward. (Charlotte Brontë, 19th century English novelist and poet)

We’re often being advised to keep our minds in the present. Forget the past; don’t worry about the future; pay attention to the here-and-now. That could be good advice for many people who are overcome with either nostalgia or future fright.  Brontë, of course, is adding an important spiritual dimension that we too often overlook.

By [sharing with others], they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life (1 Timothy 6:19).

Stop & Think: April 29, 2023

Encouragement

You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. (Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh, cartoon characters)

This thought was so important to Christopher Robin that he urged Winnie, “Promise me you’ll always remember.” Maybe we can learn from the cartoons a very helpful lesson in relationships. Words of encouragement will mean a lot more to your friends than criticism and judgment. Be honest and loving. Your friends will grow as will your friendship.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Stop & Think: April 28, 2023

Meditation

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in . . .  (John Muir, 19th-20th century American naturalist)

Muir continues, “. . . where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” Naturalists like Muir continually plead for people to take advantage of God’s creation, to admire its beauty and to take time to meditate in its glory. It not only honors God, but it refreshes the soul to get away from the busyness of life and spend quiet time in reflection.

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles (Psalm 145:5).

Stop & Think: April 27, 2023

Preparation

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. (H. Jackson Brown, inspirational author)

Too many people fret about tomorrow. What’s the weather going to be like when it’s vacation time? Is the expected tornado going to hit our area? Will inflation affect my plans for our business venture? All are legitimate concerns, but when they take up so much of our time and mental energy, they can keep us from the important task of preparing for the future.

Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house (Proverbs 24:27).

Stop & Think: April 26, 2023

Comparisons

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. (Eleanor Roosevelt, 20th century U.S. First Lady)

Certain people seem to have an inferiority complex. They feel insignificant in a group, thinking everyone else is smarter, better educated, or successful. That may be a common problem for some, but Roosevelt is encouraging those people to take a positive look at their lives, realizing that they should avoid comparisons and think clearly about their own strengths.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else (Galatians 6:4).

Stop & Think: April 25, 2023

Finding Joy

There is no hope of joy except in human relations. (Antoine de Sainte-Exupery, 20th century French writer)

This is one of those observations that might be true but could be questioned by people with contrary experience. No doubt having strong, positive relationships with others can provide a lot of joy. But contentment can also be found in being alone reading, singing, or meditating. Perhaps joy is an internal element that is found in a variety of experiences.

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. . . . Those who trust the Lord will be joyful. (Proverbs 3:13; 16:20)