Daily Stop & Thinks

GOD OF HOPE – Your character & integrity as a leader are much more important to the people who work for you than how much you pay them. (Mike Lee, American pastor)

Even in a society where money seems to rule and many people are primarily concerned about how much they can make, it is still true that most people would rather work for an honest boss at a lower wage than for a scoundrel who may pay more. That says something important about leaders who maintain a good relationship with staff because of their high integrity.

Have I not … [taught] you to be honest and to speak the truth, so that you bring back truthful reports to those you serve? (Proverbs 22:20-21)

GOD OF HOPE – Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just having money or things. (Chinese fortune cookie).

When you think of prosperity, you undoubtedly picture luxurious living or having money to do or buy what you want. But such prosperity can be lost in a moment of time from unexpected illness, sudden death, or a market collapse. We need to think more of the well-being of our spirit than our physical lives because of the eternal consequences.

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. (Proverbs 21:21)

GOD OF HOPE – There is nothing wrong or unnatural with feeling weary, but there is everything wrong with abandoning ship in the midst of the fight. (Chuck Swindoll, pastor and author)

We all get tired; it’s part of life—when you work hard, you
may become weary. It’s natural, the common experience of everyone. The remedy is not to stop working, but to rest. It’s called taking a Sabbath. Work six days, rest on the seventh. It’s a principle and practice that will sustain you in body and spirit.

… on the seventh day God rested from all his work. (Hebrews 4:4)

STOP AND THINK – Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day. (Inspiration Line)

Some folks are just waiting until some good opportunity comes their way. It will surely happen, they think, and then they’ll be able to make a new discovery, accomplish some unusual feat, or finally be able to help someone else. Such opportunities are rare, but there are many possibilities for worthy projects if we are just alert to our circumstances.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. (Galatians 6:10)

STOP AND THINK – The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion. (Arnold H. Glasow, American humorist)

It’s all too often true, isn’t it? People may not be quite sure of the facts, but very sure of their opinion. They may attempt to win the discussion by their overpowering arguments. But we must look beyond opinion and rhetoric to discover the truth.

Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:21)

STOP AND THINK – Aging seems to be the only available way to live a longer life. (Dee Auber)

That’s obvious, isn’t it? You live longer, you get older. The alternative is obvious, too: death. The Bible says that death is the prospect for all of us, “It is appointed unto men, once to die.” The question is how well will we live with the time God gives us? And, does that prepare us for what comes next? Thought-provoking, isn’t it?

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)

STOP AND THINK – Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; it empties today of its strength. (Corrie Ten Boom, holocaust survivor and author)

Some of us just can’t face the future—even the next moment—without worrying about it. We’re fearful that things won’t work out the way we want or that something will spoil our plans for tomorrow. Even though we have learned that there’s little we can do about many things, we still think that worrying about them is necessary. Rather, we need to learn to trust.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. (Matthew 6:34)

STOP AND THINK – The world is full of cactus; but you don’t have to sit on it. (Proverb)

Like a cactus forest, the world is filled with thorny situations and bristly people. They can’t always be avoided. Some people seem to dwell on those thorny situations in life; they almost seem to take pleasure in their problems and hurts. The healthier person, however, tries to avoid the bristles and concentrate on the more pleasant aspects of life.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

STOP AND THINK – Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is. (Grace F Bartosz, Christian author)

Some people like to take risks; others won’t make a move if there is any chance of risk or failure. The very thought of “going out on a limb” will make their knees tremble and their heart skip a beat. But, we must all face life as it is, putting our trust in something dependable and sure to minimize or eliminate the risk.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

STOP AND THINK – Deciding not to act is deciding to stay exactly where you are. (Kary Oberbrunner, Christian author and motivational speaker)

Sometimes it seems so hard to make a decision that we fail to make one at all. In reality, of course, that in itself is making a decision—often, the wrong one. We’ve decided not to act at all. As a result, we don’t make any progress; we don’t advance or move forward. Life will remain the same, and we will likely regret the resulting stagnation. We must make a choice.

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. (Joshua 25:15)

STOP AND THINK – The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important. (Inspiration line)

We rightfully respect the wisdom of years. We have high regard for those who have lived long and fulfilling lives. We often grieve, however, at wasted lives, and mourn the early death of young men and women who seem to have so much to offer. So, it isn’t the length of life that matters so much; it’s what you do with the time you’re given.

Walk in wisdom … making the best use of [your] time. (Colossians 4:5)

STOP AND THINK – [I] always felt that the great high privilege, relief, and comfort of friendship were that one had to explain nothing. (Katherine Mansfield, 20th century fiction writer)

In our world of hustle and bustle, we are often too busy to have a real friend—someone we can spend time with without an agenda. But when you do have such a friend, you can say what you want, or say nothing at all, simply listening or spending quiet moments together. A good friend trusts you, listens to you, and doesn’t demand explanations.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity, … [and] there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24)