Daily Stop & Thinks

Priorities

Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important. (Charles E. Hummel, Tyranny of the Urgent)

Further: “There is an insidious tendency to neglect important tasks that do not have to be done today—or even this week.” They say that the squeaking wheel gets the oil, and that is probably true even when there are more important issues to care for. We are inclined to let the immediate need supersede the more important, so it’s important to establish and stick with firm priorities.

You ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things (Matthew 23:23).

Aging

You don’t get older, you get better. (Shirley Bassey, Welsh singer)

Here’s a list of ideas to help us get better as we get older: Live realistically. Give generously. Adapt willingly. Trust fearlessly. Can we do all that? Certainly not unless we pay attention and take positive steps to improve our attitudes and behavior. Aging is often difficult with the loss of strength and flexibility, but we can make the choice to be positive and pursue healthy habits.

But the godly will flourish like palm trees . . . They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. (Psalm 92:12-14)

Failure

Failure is acceptable but failing to try is not. (R. Keith Mobley, business leader and author)

Theodore Roosevelt put it another way: “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Having failed to score the winning basket or doing poorly in a recital often discourages a young person so much that he or she vows to never try again. Adults should encourage children to keep trying, which, in turn, teaches them to do the same for their friends.

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble (Ecclesiastes 4:10)

Friends

The best times in life are made a thousand times better when shared with a dear friend. (Lucy Fawley, churchgoer.)

Have you admired a beautiful mountain scene or an exciting concert, wishing you could share it with a friend? Of course, you can share a photo or a recording, but it isn’t quite the same, is it? Enjoying a good meal is so much better when you can do it with friends. Being friendly is the best way to find friends. Serve them well, and you’ll enjoy their fellowship for a long time.

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends (Proverbs 11:30).

Weariness

There is nothing wrong or unnatural with feeling weary . . . (Source unknown)

The thought continues: “. . . but there is everything wrong with abandoning ship in the midst of the fight.” Is fatigue a sufficient reason for quitting? We do get tired when we exert effort over a period of time. And we do need time to recuperate. But when is the right time to stop? Surely, not when the battle is hard, and your help is needed. Pray for strength to continue working with others in the struggle.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Doing Nothing

If you stop and do nothing until you can do everything, you will remain useless. (Charles Spurgeon, 19th century English preacher)

It’s a mistaken idea to that that you shouldn’t venture to help if you can’t completely solve the problem or resolve the issue at hand. What foolishness! “Every little bit helps,” they say, and that is certainly worth remembering. To wait until you can do it all, as Spurgeon observes, is likely to mean that nothing good happens and you’ve failed to have a part in something worth trying.

The Apostle Paul: “For you . . . ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you (1 Thessalonians 3:7).

Worry

No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future. (Roy T. Bennett, author)

It’s obvious, isn’t it? Yet, we often recall one experience or the other: sorrowing over past mistakes or fretting about tomorrow. Some life-lessons are just hard to learn. We keep repeating our errors even when we know better. It’s important to have really good friends whose positive view of life and compassion for us will help us live in the present with hope for the future.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries (Matthew 6:24).

But I am trusting you, O Lord . . .  My future is in your hands (Psalm 31:14, 15).

Direction

Coddiwomple: to travel purposefully toward an as-yet-unknown destination. (English slang)

That’s a word that you’ve probably never heard. But it does seem to fit with the definition, doesn’t it? It doesn’t make much sense to start on a journey without knowing where you’re going. That might be okay for a fun vacation, but for a real-life purpose, it isn’t helpful at all. If you aren’t sure where you’re going, seek counsel and ask God for direction.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me (Psalm 57:2).

You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail (Proverbs 19:21).

Legacy

If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? (Randy Pausch, late educator)

Your legacy is much more than the material things you include in your will. Even the largest of inheritances will not guarantee the success of your heirs. But what will last longer than any material possessions are the character traits exhibited and passed on to your families and friends. Leave a legacy that will last.

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19, 20).

Focus

Where your focus goes, your energy flows. (Tony Robbins, author and coach)

A lot of us try to multitask, but few seem to be able to do more than one thing at a time. Robbins also says, “Whatever we focus on expands and intensifies.” It isn’t just that you favor one project over another, it’s that the current project just gets bigger, and it requires more and more of your time and resources. Focus on what is really important, giving it full attention until it’s completed.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be (Matthew 6:21).

Team Play

If being a team player requires doing what is wrong, you’re on the wrong team. (Source unknown)

We don’t know who said this originally, but it is certainly a suggestion that ought to be understood by every reasonable person. Yet the thought that winning is everything too often overrules a sense of what’s right and fair. Unfortunately, this trend goes far beyond sports teams. But the person with integrity will work hard to bring unity around truth and justice.

What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Today

Today is more than a square on a calendar. It’s an adventure . . . a quest for character that may determine your destiny. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

Calendars are part of normal life for just about everybody. Whether it’s hanging on the wall by your desk or recorded on your portable device, it’s always there to tell you what’s coming up on your schedule. But Swindoll encourages us to see every day not just as time to schedule events and appointments, but as a gift to be used to learn and experience: simply, to grow.

I am teaching you today—yes, you— so you will trust in the Lord (Proverbs 22:19).