Daily Stop & Thinks

STOP AND THINK – The greatest and noblest pleasure which we have in this world is to discover new truths, and the next is to shake off old prejudices. (Frederick II, the Great, 18^th century Prussian ruler)

Could it be said that if we are not learning we are not living? From infancy to adulthood, life is one long learning experience. And it’s a great joy to experience new truth, to discover new ideas. And, in the process of learning, we will very likely discover that some of the preconceived ideas we’ve held were wrong. The result is growth, maturity, and pleasure.

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. … Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. (Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 9:9)

STOP AND THINK- Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. (Oprah Winfrey, TV talk show host)

How much is enough? Modern appetites—whether it be for food, fame, or riches—never seem to be satisfied. Instead of being grateful for what we have (and most of us have more than enough), we always seem to want more. As Winfrey suggests, we’d do better to “concentrate on what [we] have.” That should produce a sense of gratitude and satisfaction.

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income (Ecclesiastes 5:10). When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you (Deuteronomy 8:10).

STOP AND THINK – Nature always takes her time. Great oaks don’t become great overnight. They also lose a lot of leaves, branches and bark in the process of becoming great. (Andrew Matthews, best-selling author)

We all knew that it takes a long time for an acorn to become a mature oak tree. But we probably hadn’t thought about all that happened during those many years of growth. The analogy to human life is insightful. As we grow, we encounter all kinds of experiences, some of which involve losses. Learning from them is an important part of maturing.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4)

STOP AND THINK – True greatness does not come from my position in life; it comes from humility and service. (Tim Wright, youth pastor and men’s leader)

We call them “snobs”—people who look down on everyone else because of the position or rank they hold. Such people seldom develop a following or become leaders of stature. It’s counter-intuitive, but leaders who achieve the most are those who work with people with a great sense of humility and the desire to lead by serving.

Whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. (Matthew 20:27-28)

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)