Daily Stop & Thinks

STOP AND THINK – Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct. (Thomas Carlyle, 19th century Scottish philosopher)

It’s important to have convictions, to be absolutely certain about what you believe. People respect others who have strong principles. It’s a noble virtue. Yet, unless one acts upon his beliefs, they really have very little impact. Your behavior must reflect the certainty of your convictions that will translate into life-changing behavior.’

… so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:4)

STOP AND THINK – What really matters is what you do with what you have. (Shirley Lord, author)

A person’s value is sometimes measured by what he has accumulated: a grand home; large bank account; fancy cars; possessions of all kinds in great number. A better judgment, however, would be based on what a person has done, or is doing, with what he has. Is it all for himself? Is it invested in worthy ventures? Is it used for the benefit of others?

Solomon: “I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. . . . Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:8, 11)

STOP AND THINK – You are the only person on earth who can use your ability. (Zig Ziglar, late American motivational speaker)

Some people think they have no talent, that they are pretty worthless when it comes to contributing anything to society. Well, it’s for sure that if they don’t offer what they are capable of, no one else can. Everyone has certain gifts that are intended not so much for their own pleasure but for the benefit of others.

Now to each one the gifts of God are given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7, paraphrased.)

STOP AND THINK – There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. (C. H. Spurgeon, 19th century British preacher)

In some parts of the world April 1 is called “April Fool’s Day,” a day when people play practical jokes on each other. Whether joking or not, the person who thinks he knows it all is really the greatest fool because he has fooled only himself, no one else. It’s better to recognize the wisdom of learning from others.

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. (Proverbs 15:14)

STOP AND THINK- The best learning I had came from teaching. (Corrie Ten Boom, Dutch Christian survivor of the Holocaust)

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to teach, you discovered early on that you were learning more than your students. When you prepare to teach a subject—not just read or hear about it—you begin to understand the topic more clearly. So, try to be a teacher whenever and however you can; you’ll not only help students, but you’ll be a lifetime learner, too.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. (Colossians 3:16)

STOP AND THINK – Life, love, and laughter—what priceless gifts to give our children. (Phyllis Campbell, American journalist)

Parents want to give their children the very best opportunities to become mature adults and productive citizens. And Campbell has suggested a good foundation. The key is love, which is not always giving them what they want, but doing for them what is in their best interest. Provide for them the security that will enable them to learn by example and experience.

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

STOP AND THINK – An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight… The truly wise person is color-blind. (Albert Schweitzer, early 20th century German/French medical missionary)

This statement may be over-simplified, but it often does reflect the attitude of some people. The pessimist sees nothing positive; the optimist refuses to see anything negative. In reality, we shouldn’t be strictly “color-blind” or we’ll miss the danger signals of red and the fresh opportunities of green. We should view life with the wisdom gained from learning and experience.

A discerning man keeps wisdom in view. (Proverbs 17:24)

STOP AND THINK – Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. (Soren Kierkegaard, 19th century Danish philosopher)

Maybe this is just another way of stating the old adage, “Hindsight is 20/20.” Don’t we often wish we could have a “do over” of certain past events with the knowledge that we now have? Well, it just doesn’t work that way, does it? So, knowing what we have learned from the past should inform the way we live in the future, taking full advantage of life’s experience.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

STOP AND THINK – Everything that is done in the world is done by hope. (Martin Luther, “Father” of the Protestant Reformation)

It would be a dreary world without hope, wouldn’t it? Some days bring troubles and difficulties, but there’s always tomorrow. Yesterday may have been tough and today might not be altogether pleasant, but we dare not give up hope for tomorrow.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope. (Romans 15:13)

STOP AND THINK – Conviction & commitment without connection don’t work. (Mike Lee, American pastor)

It’s important to have strong convictions. And it’s equally important to be committed to a cause or an ideal. But conviction and commitment alone will be of little value without relationships (connections), where your firm beliefs and your strong allegiance can have limitless influence for good.

Our gospel came to you [commitment] not simply with words, but also with power . . . and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you [connection] for your sake. (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

STOP AND THINK – If you can’t accept anything on faith then you are set for a life filled with doubt. (From the movie, Miracle on 34th Street)

In the movie these words were spoken by Santa Claus. Of course, it takes a lot of faith (or is it just “let’s pretend”) to believe in Santa. But, his words do strike a chord of reality. We have to have faith in something or we’ll live lives without any hope. What’s important is the focus of our faith.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. … And without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:1, 6)

STOP AND THINK – The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart. (Maryanne Williamson, international lecturer and author)

When we think of treasure, we often have visions of gold, silver, and precious gems. But, as beautiful and valuable as they may be, they can be lost, stolen, de-valued, or destroyed. Treasures of greatest value are those that can never be lost. Although they are intangible, things like appreciation, sensitivity, joy, peace, and love last. Hang on to those things.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:19-20)