Daily Stop & Thinks

If you cannot mould yourself entirely as you would wish, how can you expect other people to be entirely to your liking? (Thomas á Kempis, Medieval German canon)

It seems to be true that we expect others to live up to our personally established standards, when we most often are unable to live up to those same criteria ourselves. Our expectations of others are higher than what we demand of ourselves. It’s the old “Do as I say, not as I do” fallacy. Set the standard high, live up to it, and be careful not to judge others.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

STOP AND THINK – Man is always inclined to be intolerant towards the thing, or person, he hasn’t taken the time adequately to understand. (Robert R. Brown, financier and author)

Why is there so much intolerance in modern society? Why are so many people biased about certain groups or organizations? Could Brown be right? Are our prejudices the result of ignorance? If Brown is right, we could do a lot to overcome the injustices of intolerance by learning more about those we don’t understand. It is certainly worth the effort.

Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. (Leviticus 19:15)

STOP AND THINK – If I need to change or improve my behavior (and who doesn’t) I shouldn’t need the artificial date of January 1 to inspire me to action. (Alan Terwilleger, former Colson Center president)

New Years’ resolutions are usually simple confessions that we haven’t been or done all we could have in the past year, and that we’d like to do better this year. As Terwilleger suggests, however, the change of the calendar is not sufficient motivation to improve. It will take an act of our will—in fact, a daily choice to work at doing what we know we should to improve.

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12-13)

STOP AND THINK – New Year’s Eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted. (Hamilton Wright Mabie, 19^th and 20^th century American essayist and lecturer)

We seem to think that everything changes at midnight on December 31. But, as Mabie points out, it’s really just like the other 364 nights of the year. He continues, however, “…and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. “ Yes, there’s something hopeful about the New Year, isn’t there?

Anyone who is among the living has hope (Ecclesiastes  9:4).

STOP AND THINK – One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people. (Dick Gregory, American comedian and social activist)

According to the Declaration of Independence, Americans have the right to pursue happiness. But how does one pursue it? Where do you find happiness? Gregory has certainly found an important part of the answer. If you can serve others, helping them to make progress in their own lives, you will discover your own source of happiness.

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

STOP AND THINK – To love your neighbor you must know your neighbor. (Ben Stevens, Alaskan politician)

Some say that love is blind, but can that really be true? Can you love someone you haven’t seen or don’t know? It certainly would be much easier to love a person if we could get to know him or her. And, we are to love them; so if we are to do so, we must make the effort to get acquainted with our neighbor, to interact and then, to love.

To love him (God) with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. (Mark 12:33)

STOP AND THINK – Generosity: it doesn’t cost a penny to pay it forward. (John Maxwell, motivational speaker and author)

Is Maxwell challenging us to pass on to others what we have without considering the cost? Maybe he’s not talking about money. If we have a generous spirit, we can often give the gift of help and encouragement to someone at the cost of only a little time and effort. When we consider that all we have is given us as a trust, it’s easier to share with others.

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God . . . for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. (2 Corinthians 9:13)

STOP AND THINK – What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail? (Robert Schuller, televangelist and motivational speaker)

Many people are kept from stepping out into new ventures because of the fear of failure. No one likes to fail, of course, but you can’t succeed if you never try. If we just had the assurance that we would achieve our goals, we wouldn’t hesitate to begin, would we? We must plan well, find adequate resources, and launch forth confidently.

I can do all this through him (Christ) who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

STOP AND THINK – Evans Rogers, American film star and singer-songwriter).

This is the day after Christmas. The gift-wrappings are gone; some of the toys may be broken or the batteries lost—but can the Christmas spirit last a bit longer? Rogers suggests that the same spirit should motivate acts of loving and giving throughout the year. Love should not be seasonal; it should be continual.

 [Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:7-8)

STOP AND THINK – There is nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child. (Erma Bombeck, 20^th century American humorist)

We often think that Christmas is mainly for children. Perhaps that’s why so many Christmas stories seem to be aimed at children. As Bombeck hints, adults may not enjoy the holiday as much as children because of the child-like emphasis on gifts and toys. But, children and adults alike need to recognize the real purpose of the celebration.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

STOP AND THINK – The only blind person at Christmas is he who has not Christmas in his heart. (Helen Keller, American author and lecturer)

Tomorrow’s the big day! But, lest it’s meaning fade too quickly, consider Keller’s comment, a thought-provoking sentiment from a person who was physically blind but mentally insightful. Faith, after all, is not the result of seeing; it comes from believing what is true. Give thought to the true Christmas story because to believe is to see.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

STOP AND THINK – Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it (William Arthur Ward, inspirational writer).

It’s just two days now. Are all the gifts wrapped and under the tree? What do those gifts represent? We give because we love and we’re grateful for family and friends. We would never think of wrapping a gift and then not giving it to the person we bought it for, would we? That’s the way it is with gratitude, too. Be sure to express thanks to those you love.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. (Psalm 107:8)