Daily Stop & Thinks

STOP AND THINK – Look not at what you have lost but at what you have left. (Robert Schuller, pastor and author)

Whether it’s losing a sporting event or having all of one’s possessions destroyed in a house fire, it’s often most difficult to regain a sense of well-being. Lingering too long on thoughts of the loss can result in a downward spiral that ends in depression. Difficult as it may be, Schuller’s advice is important. All is not lost; there is still a promising life to be lived.

 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive. (Luke 20:38)

STOP AND THINK – Take away love and earth is a tomb. (Robert Browning, 19^th century English poet and playwright)

Browning seems to be quoting a song in his poem “Fra Lippo Lippi,” that laments a lover who let his loved one get away. According to the musical Carnival, “Love makes the world go ‘round.” And that certainly seems to characterize the modern conception of romantic love. When love is missing, life often becomes tedious and dreary. A fulfilling life needs true love.

How delightful is your love . . . my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice! (Song of Songs 4:10)

STOP AND THINK – Happiness consists in giving, and in serving others. (Henry Drummond, 19^th century evangelist and writer)

Christmas was only a few weeks ago; do you remember the gifts you received and who gave them to you? More than likely, you remember what you gave to others. You may also have had opportunity during the holiday season to think of others more often and used those times to serve. If so, you’ve discovered what happiness really is.

But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, . . . and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:7)

STOP AND THINK – The avoidance of legitimate suffering means we also avoid the growth that problems demand of us. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

No one likes to suffer; and we take precautions to avoid it. We want quick and immediate relief when pain comes our way. Sometimes our misery is the result of our own mistakes or indulgences. When that’s the case, we should make every effort to learn from our experience and avoid similar mistakes in the future. Pain provides valuable learning time.

[God] knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. (Job 23:10)

STOP AND THINK – The wise man does at once…what the fool does finally. (Baltasar Gracián, 17^th century Jesuit philosopher)

Often, when we’re faced with a difficult situation or one we don’t want to deal with, we put it off. It’s called procrastination—putting off doing something that should be done. Sometimes, that just makes things worse. Eventually, we have to do what we know we should have done all along. How much better to save time and heartache and do it right away.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

STOP AND THINK – Only in the darkness can you see the stars. (Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader)

People who live in urban areas are amazed when they see the night sky in a rural setting for the first time. City lights are reflected from the sky at night, obscuring the view of a brilliant, star-studded canopy overhead. King is alluding to the difficult experiences of life in which we can more clearly see the beauty that exists outside the trying circumstances.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

STOP AND THINK – The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone. (Orison Sweet Marden, 19^th-20^th century American inspirational author)

As another author wrote, “Your golden opportunity is the time when preparation and opportunity meet. It’s your preparation that is key.” It’s what you bring to each day in your attitude, study, and work habits. We waste valuable time when we delay activity because we’re waiting for the right opportunity to come. Prepare, work, and look for it.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

STOP AND THINK – I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance. (Pablo Casals, pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20^th century)

We might easily assume that Casals considered music a means of caring for others. Playing his cello was not simply moving a bow over the strings and using the proper fingering to play the notes on the sheet music. Like casino online all musicians who feel the music, he gave attention, not just to the performance details but to the emotional pleasure the composition could give.

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:18-19)

STOP AND THINK – Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. (Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19^th century essayist)

We should learn from yesterday’s mistakes and then put them out of our mind. Tomorrow is a new day, and we are not condemned to repeat the errors of the past. Rather, we should apply what we’ve learned and move ahead with careful planning and determination to make the best of every situation that the year brings.

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me. (Philippians 3:13-14)

STOP AND THINK – Leadership is not a skill. It’s character. (Mark Divine, business entrepreneur and a former Navy Seal)

Divine goes on to say, “Successful, happy, and fulfilled people embody core values such as honor, courage, and commitment to personal excellence.” And he emphasizes that “Real leaders command from the heart.” We seem to think that leadership can be learned by applying rules from a book, but it’s deeper than that. It must come from one’s integrity.

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely (Proverbs 10:9). The integrity of the upright guides them (Proverbs 11:3).

STOP AND THINK – To desire and strive to be of some service to the world … this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely it is a good haven to sail for. (Henry Van Dyke, author, educator, and clergyman)

He added, “To aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of humankind” is also possible and a worthy goal. In modern society it seems that self-centeredness has become a virtue. We seem to be so concerned about self-image, that we often overlook the importance of serving others, a pursuit of lasting global value.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

STOP AND THINK – When we seek to discover the best in others we somehow bring out the best in ourselves. (William Arthur Ward, author)

One of our common human weaknesses is the tendency to see other people’s faults rather than their good points. Perhaps it’s because we are so keenly aware of our own weaknesses. When we do look for the good in someone else and we act upon it by complementing them or giving them opportunity to express themselves, we are better for it, and so are they.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)