GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: January 25, 2025

What the World Needs

Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. (Ella Fitzgerald, late singer and songwriter)

There’s an old pop song that observed, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” In fact, the lyrics claimed that “It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” Fitzgerald added inspiration as another element important in not going “wrong.” Following those sentiments would help, no doubt, but what is even more important are integrity and godly living.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him. (2 Peter 1:3)

Stop & Think: January 24, 2025

You Earn It

The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence. (Vince Lombardi, late noted football coach)

High school musicians may enter regional or statewide contests to earn medals and awards, based on a good, very good, or excellent rating. They all work hard to get the big “E,” but not everyone will receive the top award. And the reason may well be, as Lombardi says, in spite of their talent, they didn’t make the necessary commitment. Top awards require diligent work.

Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence . . . (2 Peter 1:5)

Stop & Think: January 23, 2025

Desire & Reality

All get what they want; they do not always like it. (C. S. Lewis in “The Magician’s Nephew”)

A young lad wanted to do something his mother didn’t approve of. After much begging, she finally relented, but when the boy returned from his adventure, he admitted that he didn’t enjoy it. Why? Because he knew he had offended his mom. It’s true, isn’t it that we sometimes really don’t enjoy what we thought we just had to have or do?  Anticipation is often better than reality.

Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. (1 Peter 1:4)
Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. (Proverbs 3:15)

Stop & Think: January 22, 2025

Bitter or Better?

We can choose to be bitter or better. (Tom Roy, sports and personal coach)

We all have faced difficult times when we’ve been hurt by some harsh experience, and we may have found it difficult to overcome its effects. We can become bitter and carry that hurt for months or even years. Or we can learn to accept those events that we can’t avoid and learn from them. It’s our choice. It can really be life-changing to learn and become better.

Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives. (Hebrews 12:15)

Stop & Think: January 20, 2025

Doing your “Small Thing”

If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way. (Martin Luther King Jr, late civil rights activist)

Many would note, of course, that King did accomplish some “great things” in his efforts to do away with ethnic inequality. His statement is a challenge to the rest of us to be involved in worthy projects. The total of all of us doing “small things” would achieve a lot more. Mother Teresa adds, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus: “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. (Mark 12:42-43)

Stop & Think: January 19, 2025

Stress

Stress is a powerful motivator. It can help us to focus and achieve our goals. (Fatima’ UK Campaign)

We’re told that Americans consume over a billion dollars a year of anti-anxiety drugs. Yet, there must be a better way to handle the normal tensions of life. Recognizing that stress can be a powerful motivator can help us focus on our goals. Stress is normal and can give us energy and motivation to tackle our challenges and achieve our goals.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Stop & Think: January 18, 2025

Hospitality

Hospitality is a matter of the heart that is revealed in our actions and in our words. (Author unknown)

Is hospitality a lost art today? With the business of life in the 21st century, there seem to be fewer and fewer occasions for inviting people into your home for a visit or a meal. It’s so much more convenient just to meet at a coffee bar or restaurant. Except for a few holiday occasions, we seldom get close enough to others to let them into our hearts as well as our homes.

Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! (Hebrews 13:2)

Stop & Think: January 17, 2025

Kindness

We never know when some small kindness will forever make a difference in the lives of total strangers. (Chelle Thompson, Inspiration Line)

Thompson continues: “Continuously performing good deeds … even without recognition … will create a trail of miracles in our wake.” The Bible says that doing good deeds—even praying—just to be seen doing it may bring, at best, only temporary recognition. Doing good for others brings good results for those you’ve served, and your blessing may come much later.

Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
Good deeds done in secret will someday come to light. (1 Timothy 5:25)

Stop & Think: January 16, 2025

Life Moves On

The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it. (Niccolo Machiavelli, 15th-16th century Italian philosopher)

Today we’d probably be watching a digital clock or watch to reveal the passing of time. But an ancient hourglass is a really good picture of life’s fleeting moments. And the reminder that observing an hourglass is helpful, too, because life’s values and purposes should be clearer as time passes and we learn from experience and life itself. Live and learn!

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. (Ephesians 5:15)
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. (Philippians 1:21)

Stop & Think: January 15, 2025

Kind Words Help

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. (Mother Teresa)

It is true, of course, that harsh or unkind words can have a devastating and long-lasting effect on someone who is hurt by them. Thankfully, the opposite is true, too. Many people have been helped through life by kind words spoken many years before. Often, such helpful words of encouragement have motivated someone to live a joyful, fulfilling life many years later.

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:19) 

Stop & Think: January 14, 2025

Words Can Hurt

Be careful what you say. You can say something hurtful in ten seconds, but ten years later, the wounds are still there. (Joel Osteen, TV evangelist)

Have you ever met someone who never seems to be content with life and you wondered about the reason for such ongoing unhappiness? It could simply be the result of an unkind observation or a misunderstood remark someone made years ago. It’s a reminder to all of us to choose our words very carefully lest they be harmful tomorrow.

The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking … The lips of the godly speak helpful words. (Proverbs 15:28; 10:32)

Stop & Think: January 13, 2025

Dare to Fail

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. (John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. president)

Note that Kennedy didn’t say that to succeed you had to “fail greatly.” The challenge it to “dare to fail greatly.” That’s a big difference, isn’t it? No one wants to fail, but to accomplish anything of value, you may have to risk failure. Be prepared to continue trying after each failure. Persistence with courage is often the key to success.

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. (Proverbs 2 4:16)