Daily Stop & Thinks

STOP AND THINK – If you are not using what you already have, you won’t use what you think you need. (Ken Duncan, Australian professional photographer)

We are often tempted to say, “If I only had (fill in the blank), I could do ….” But the question, as Duncan points out, is “Are you using what you already have?” Chances are that when we don’t adequately use what we already have, we probably wouldn’t do any better with anything more. Use what you have now in the best way possible.

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 – Life is a series of choices between the bad, the good, and the best. Everything depends on how we choose. (Vance Havner, 20^th century evangelist)

Many people don’t have a lot of trouble resisting what is bad for them, whether it’s a matter of diet, leisure activity, or business dealings. The enemy most often is not what is a bad choice, but settling for what is good, but not the best. We should work to improve at whatever we do—to be better at it, and strive for the best in everything we work at.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Temptations are everywhere. It’s your job to avoid them. (2 Minutes a day. 100 Devotionals)

It’s obvious, isn’t it? We are constantly faced, either directly or by innuendo, with opportunities to do wrong, to give in to baser emotions. Even magazine ads and TV commercials can tempt us to do something we know we shouldn’t. But whether it’s as simple as overeating or drinking too much or something more sinister, it’s always our choice.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

STOP AND THINK – Men are often thoughtless: “[They] will not reflect on the end of their present course, and the sure consequences of their present days.” (J. C Ryle, 19^th century Anglican bishop)

Speaking to young men, Ryle continued, “[They] wake up to find they are damned for a lack of thinking. Young men know little of the perils around [them], and so . . . are careless how [they] walk. We should not restrict those words to young men, because it seems that thinking is passé among men and women of all ages. And how we think determines how we live.

Apostle Peter: “I have written both of [my letters to you] as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. (2 Peter 3:1)

STOP AND THINK – Love is very much a matter of actions rather than emotions. (Jerry Bridges, Christian author)

In a world flooded with songs, movies, and stories of love, it’s really hard to understand what genuine love is. Many times it is identified with lust or eroticism. Other times it is regarded merely as an emotion—something that fosters the idea of “listening to your heart, not your mind.” But real love is thoughtful, unselfish, and results in actions that benefit the one loved.

We should love one another . . . let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:11, 18)

STOP AND THINK – Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you happy or makes you miserable. (William Hershey Davis, Greek language author)

Davis’ comparisons are thought-provoking. A worker with a good reputation may become wealthy, while an ineffective worker may not do well financially. But there’s more to life than financial gain and security. When you live a life of integrity, you can be happy, but the result of a life that displays dishonesty and untrustworthiness will bring only misery.

The man of integrity walks securely. (Proverbs 10:9)

STOP AND THINK – Discouraged people don’t need critics. They hurt enough already. They don’t need more guilt or piled-on distress. They need encouragement. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

There are a lot of discouraged people in the world, aren’t there? The last thing they need is someone telling them to buck up, get with it, or stop complaining. When you are discouraged, what helps you? It’s not someone with a superior attitude that only adds to your despair. What helps most are encouraging words.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:1)

STOP AND THINK – Happiness is always an inside job. (Author unknown)

One definition of happiness is “a pleasurable or satisfying experience.” That sounds like it is the result of some external event that makes you happy. Another: “a state of well-being and contentment.” That seems to emphasize an internal condition, the result, not so much of what happens to us, but of the settled attitude of joy that characterizes the person who is content.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful. (Proverbs 15:13)

STOP AND THINK – [Contrary to] people-pleasers, only people-lovers are able to confront. (Edward T. Welch, author)

Some folks seem to live their lives in an attempt to please everybody—never offend anyone and certainly don’t confront them in any way. Yet, Welch seems to suggest that those who really love people are willing to face up to their friends, addressing error or faults that need to be corrected. Refusing to do so reveals a lack of love and concern for others.

If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. (Galatians 6:1)

STOP AND THINK – By grasping onto what we currently have  . . . we lose out on better goods that we might have gained. (Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson, University researchers)

The authors continue: “Giving money, volunteering . . . being a generous neighbor and friend . . . are all significantly, positively correlated with greater personal happiness, physical health [and] a stronger sense of purpose.” When we learn to give our time and money generously to others, we find the “better goods” of personal joy and satisfaction.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

STOP AND THINK – Minds are like parachutes—they only function when open. (Sir James Dewar, 19^th-20^th century Scottish chemist and physicist)

Our minds are wonderful things. They are really the “heart” of everything—how we relate to the world, how we learn, what we choose, and much more. So, it’s a terrible thing when we close our minds, unwilling to try something new or to think about an issue from a different perspective. An open mind is the avenue for learning and growth.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).

STOP AND THINK – People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they are not on your road does not mean they have gotten lost. (H. Jackson Brown, best-selling author)

Different people have different backgrounds and interests, so it makes sense that we don’t all travel the same pathways. We go the way we find to be comfortable—that fits with our heritage and education. So, learn to appreciate the differences that exist. Most importantly, we must search for that one right way that leads to God.

Jesus: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction . . . But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life.” (Matthew 7:13-14)