Daily Stop & Thinks

STOP AND THINK – The finish line is just the beginning. (From a tee shirt)

Slogans on tee shirts are often very thought-provoking, aren’t they? If you run a race, you would normally think it’s all over when you break the tape. But, usually there is another race ahead, so you continue to train to prepare for it—and then another and another. Life is like that, too. When one goal is reached, another challenge lies ahead.

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 3:12-13)

STOP AND THINK – No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the horizon of the spirit. (Inspiration Line)

A pessimist may take comfort that when things go wrong, that’s pretty much what he expected. But what kind of joy is that? What kind of anticipation of the future does that inspire? There are secrets to be discovered and new horizons to explore. Finding them will require a positive outlook and zeal to discover and follow through.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor. (Romans 12:11)

STOP AND THINK – What you need when circumstances puncture your fragile dikes and threaten to engulf your life with pain and confusion is a shelter. (paraphrased from Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

Swindoll defines the shelter as “a listener, someone who understands.” Most of us have found that to be true. What we really want is not necessarily someone who has all the answers and can quote the right texts, but a friend who will just listen, who will really hear what we are saying. We need a friend to hear and understand. That makes life easier.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge . . . turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge. (Psalm 31:1-2)

STOP AND THINK – Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed. (Michael Pritchard, motivational speaker)

Fear is often associated with darkness, isn’t it? As children, we were often afraid of the dark and wanted to have a light turned on in our bedroom. In the dark periods in our lives, when we’re fearful about the future, we are most likely to have negative thoughts, to think nothing good will happen. At those times, we must pray for confidence, and think positively.

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 – If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. (Denis Waitley, writer, speaker, and productivity consultant)

Having confidence in what you are doing is certainly a strong component of success. It may not be a guarantee of success, but as Waitley says, if you think you can’t do something, you most likely won’t accomplish it. He goes on to say, “Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.” So, think positively and move on with confidence.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. (Hebrews 10:35)

STOP AND THINK – A man’s true character is revealed by his response to adversity. (Austin Hatch, young survivor of two plane crashes and brain injury.)

Hatch, who lost his parents and two siblings in the crashes and had to learn to walk again, also said, “I don’t think I deserve what I’ve been through, but I’m gonna be fine.” And we think we have problems. We can’t always control our circumstances or avoid the pains of life, but we can control our attitude. Doing so can see us through great difficulty.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self . . . to be made new in the attitude of your minds. (Ephesians 4:22-23)

STOP AND THINK – The greatest killer in human life is not cancer. It’s not heart disease and it’s not war. In fact, it’s not anything you would ever suspect. It’s ingratitude. (T. M. Moore, author and conference speaker)

Are you surprised? Is Moore saying that people actually die physically from an ungrateful spirit? Or, is he merely suggesting that the joys and benefits of life are lost when an attitude of ingratitude prevails? In either case, we should all examine our attitudes and lifestyles to be sure that we show gratitude wherever we can. It may save your life!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

STOP AND THINK – Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. (Helen Keller, American author and lecturer)

This is the last day of the first month of a new year. Do you remember any of the New Year’s resolutions you made. Have you kept them, or are they already forgotten? Although severely handicapped, Helen Keller had great success anyway. She realized that the key was within her, not in her circumstances. Like Keller, dig deep and find true happiness.

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. (Psalm 68:3)

STOP AND THINK – All men die, but few men ever really live. (Jim Brown, American pastor)

Living is one thing; being alive might be another. Some people seem to get more out of life than others, don’t they? It might be because they put more into it. But, whatever the reason, Brown is right, we all will die; it’s a universal fact of life. Before that unknown time, it is important that we discover what life is all about and where it is to be found in abundance.

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)

STOP AND THINK – Everybody has to live for something. Whatever it is becomes “Lord of your life” whether you think of it that way or not. (Tim Keller, prominent pastor and author)

What are you living for? Fame, fortune, recognition? Do you aspire to be an Olympic gold-medalist? Or, a best-selling author? Whatever that ambition, Keller warns that your goal has become your little god. You expend every effort and resource to achieve that goal. Or, perhaps, you have a more noble purpose. Let it be one that honors God and serves others.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

STOP AND THINK – Ninety percent of the world’s woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. (Sydney J. Harris, American journalist)

That’s a pretty strong statement. Sounds like Harris is saying that people need to know themselves better. In fact, he goes on to write, “Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves.” Well, if knowing ourselves is important to the welfare of society, we had better discover who we really are and were meant to be.

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment. (Romans 12:3)

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, 18th century king of Prussia)

Discovering truth is not only the task of scientists and inventors; it’s the privilege of any true seeker after truth. Accepting newly discovered truth, however, might mean we have to give up some previously held untruths, prejudices that had kept us from seeing the reality of truth. Look for that source of truth that is available for the searching.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13). Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17)