Daily Stop & Thinks

God is more interested in our attitudes than our actions. (Mike Lee, pastor) 

We often say that actions speak louder than words, and that’s very true. We can tell what a person is thinking by what he does more than just by what casino online he says. In the long run, though, it may not be either the actions or the words, but the attitude that best reflects who we are. What do others think about you when they see your attitude on display?

You were taught … to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Because faith makes invisible things real and visible things unreal, earthly dissatisfaction becomes the road to heavenly satisfaction. (Joni Eareckson Tada, evangelical author and founder of a compassion ministry) 

It’s a paradox that people of faith have come to realize: things that are not seen may be more real than things you can see and touch. God’s good plans for those who trust Him are not necessarily physical or temporal; they are spiritual and eternal.Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1). For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. (Helen Keller) 

Many people dream of doing something really great, hoping perhaps for world recognition, to make a fortune, maybe even to win a Nobel Prize. In reality, few will achieve those levels of accomplishment, but we all can—and must—approach all our work as significant and worthy.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. (Colossians 3:23)

Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand! (Chinese proverb)

Sounds like a principle right out of a teacher’s manual, doesn’t it? We need instruction and example, but we learn best by doing. And if we want to help others learn, we will need to tell, show, and give them opportunities to do some hands-on work.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. (Philippians 4:9)

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. (Attributed to the Talmud, Jewish rabbinic writings)

When we look at all the problems of the world—individual and social—we could easily be discouraged by it all. How can we resolve all the conflicts, meet all the needs? The least we can do—maybe it’s the most—is to deal with what we can right here, right now.
What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. (Galileo Galilei)

Life is little more than a journey of discovery. As someone has said, “When we stop learning, we’re dead.” We should be constantly learning, looking for something more to add to our knowledge and experience so that we can be more effective and efficient.
All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”—but this was beyond me. Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound—who can discover it? So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things. (Ecclesiastes 7:23-25)

Time, whose tooth gnaws away at everything else, is powerless against truth. (Thomas Henry Huxley, 19^th century English biologist)

What an amazing statement from a scientist! It seems as though science is always telling us about the changes that time brings, often even challenging what had been regarded as truth until some new scientific discovery. But, while learning may force us to change our understanding of life, truth never changes.
Jesus: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33)

Real change and emotional growth come by facing our weaknesses and personality defects as others see us. (Ted W. Engstrom, late compassion ministry leader)

Engstrom also said, “Backslappers help us feel better about ourselves, but we don’t actually profit by them.” We need the honest evaluation of people close enough to see us as we are but not so close they won’t tell us the truth about ourselves.
But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

What we do is not as important as who we do it for. (Tom Julien, missionary and author)

Another popular adage: What we do is not as important as what we are. Both are clearly exposed by what we do. Julien’s important emphasis points to the question of motivation. Are we seeking to serve self, others, or ultimately God?
Be shepherds of God’s flock … not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve. (1 Peter 5:2)

Be sure no time is so well spent as that which a man spends on his knees.  (J.C. Ryle, 19^th century Anglican bishop)

Unlike faithful Muslims who recite memorized lines several times a day, some Christians pray only before meals and at bedtime, often repeating some thoughtless phrases over and over. Because prayer is conversation with God, it should be as frequent and personal as a talk with a friend or family member—and include careful attention to what He is saying.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

A leader is a man who knows the road, who can keep ahead, and who can pull others after him. (John Mott, YMCA leader and 1946 Nobel Peace Prize winner)

Some people aspire to be leaders, but don’t seem to realize that you’re not a leader if no one is following you. To lead you must have a positive influence on those you wish to move ahead with you. And leaders must earn the confidence and trust of their group.
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7)

Whom you would change, you must first love, and they must know you love them. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

How can we love someone who we think needs to change somehow? We must first understand that true love is to act toward another person in his or her best interest; it’s not just some romantic feeling. If we love that way, we might indeed be able to influence them toward change.

Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:18)