Daily Stop & Thinks

STOP AND THINK – For us, there is only the trying . . .  the rest is God’s business. (Father Richard John Neuhaus paraphrasing T. S. Eliot, one of the twentieth century’s major poets)

The only one who never fails is the one who never tries. Whatever the endeavor, it is sometimes the fear of failure that keeps a person from trying. But, if there is no trying, there is no succeeding, so we must not let fear keep us from making an effort. As Eliot and Neuhaus emphasize, we are not alone in our attempts; we must also trust in God.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

STOP AND THINK – Joy never forgets . . . to remember. (Kent Wilson, leadership consultant)

People who are joyful—who always appear to be bright and exuberant—seem to be a rare commodity in today’s world of uncertainty. What, do you suppose, would be the answer if we were to ask joyful people why they are so happy? Chances are they would point to some experience or relationship that has influenced them—something they’ve never forgotten.

Those who promote peace have joy (Proverbs 12:20).

STOP AND THINK – Woe be to him that reads but one book. (George Herbert, 17^th century Welsh-born English poet, orator and Anglican priest)

With the available technology of the 21^st century, maybe people aren’t reading books at all anymore. Yet, books are being written, printed, and sold by the millions. Herbert’s advice is not to limit yourself to a single book you enjoy. There is so much to learn from gifted writers, so read a lot. And, if you can read only one, check out God’s Book, the Bible.

Jesus: “You study the Scriptures diligently . . . These are the very Scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39).

STOP AND THINK – Anyone can be a critic, but not everyone can stand up to criticism. (Kenneth J. Brown, author)

Brown is probably right, isn’t he? It’s easy to criticize. We see the mistakes others make or their decisions that seem wrong to us, and we hasten to make a judgment. When the shoe is on the other foot, however, we become defensive and argue that no one has the right to criticize us or make judgments about us. We should take a longer look at our own conduct.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3).

STOP AND THINK – A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark. (Chinese proverb)

Obviously, the proximity and longevity of association with parents and siblings will likely have the greatest impact upon children. Then, there are teachers and peers who play a role as well. But, it’s also true that nearly everyone who associates with a child bears some influence in his or her life. So, we must think carefully about our influence on children.

The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them (Proverbs 20:7).

STOP AND THINK – It is not as hard to know what is right to do as to do what you know is right. (Author unknown)

But, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. said, “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” Human beings are born with a conscience, and with parental guidance, good teachers and role models, we can develop a sense of right and wrong that will affect life’s decisions.

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them (James 4:17).

STOP AND THINK – It is better to be high-spirited even though one makes more mistakes, than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent. (Vincent van Gogh, 19^th century Post-Impressionist painter)

Sometimes we have a good idea but we hesitate to move forward, wanting to think through the project to avoid possible mistakes. Van Gogh advises, however, “Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination; do not become the slave of your model.” We should plan carefully, of course, and not let fear of failure block an otherwise worthy venture.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

STOP AND THINK – Successful people engage that creative part of their minds and ask, “Well, I wonder how else I can look at this problem? (Jim Rohn, entrepreneur, author, and speaker)

He also suggests we should ask ourselves: “I wonder how else I could deal with this decision? I wonder what other possibilities I have there.” If we just do what we always do, we’ll always have the same results. O when some new or difficult situation faces us, follow Rohn’s suggestions, ask the hard questions, take a new look, and think creatively.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22).

STOP AND THINK – Imagination is our ability to see inwardly and picture there that which has not yet appeared outwardly. (Donald Curtis, speaker and writer)

Curtis also says, “Imagination is God’s gift to us.” What would life be like without the ability to imagine? We have to live in real life, of course, but there is something to be said for thinking outside the box. Curtis suggests looking more carefully within ourselves. Is there some idea we have that we should work on to express our creativity openly?

[God] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (paraphrase of (Ephesians 3:20).

STOP AND THINK – Believe it and you can achieve it! If you can dream, you can do it. Make dust, don’t rust. (Quotes form Robert Schuller, late writer and preacher)

Schuller was a positive thinker, and he encouraged millions of his followers to believe and dream big to achieve great accomplishments. Certainly, a positive attitude is essential to success in almost any endeavor. But his challenge to “Make dust, don’t rust” may be the better counsel. Dreams and faith have to be put into action.

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Faith without deeds is dead (James 2:17, 26).

STOP AND THINK – Life is an adventure, not a worry, and if you want to pursue a dream, stumbling blocks must become stepping stones. (Ken Duncan quotes, Australian professional photographer)

If we see life as filled with obstacles, we may worry a lot. Duncan suggests we need to see them as stepping stone, to approach them courageously and use them to advance. He adds another helpful thought: “Passion is a powerful thing and, when directed properly, it can help bring visions to reality.” Stepping stones and passion will greatly help you succeed.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34). Do not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6).

STOP AND THINK – Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. (The Bible)

If we were to establish a table of sins, gossip would probably not be very high on the list. We think of violent crimes—murder, assault, and the like—as being much worse than the “sins” of the tongue. Yet we have probably all been witnesses to the great damage that uncontrolled gossip can cause. We’d do well to learn to control our tongues.

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much (Proverbs 20:19).