When love is felt, the message is heard. (Jim Vaus, converted gangster)
It’s sometimes difficult to relay unpleasant news or offer a correction. But even difficult words, spoken in love, can be well received and appreciated. As someone else put it, “Nobody cares what you know until they know that you care.” We all need to learn how to say hard things with an attitude of concern, humility, and love.
. . . we will speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Unqualified love means there are no prerequisites, no contingencies, no requirements for your love. It is a gift given with no strings attached. (Inspiration Line)
Love is more than a romantic notion. Love doesn’t take inventory or give an exam to qualify another’s value before deciding to love. It is an act of the will; an action word, and a virtue that we do not come by naturally; it is a gift. True love expects nothing in return.
Let us love one another, for love comes from God (1 John 4:7).
Selfless love always desires the best for others. (Alistair Begg, American pastor)
It’s rare to see anything about love in the media or modern literature that isn’t about emotions or selfish physical attraction. At the slightest provocation, it is turned on or off, resulting in broken families and a declining national morality. Contrast that with the kind of love the Bible speaks of as unselfish, enduring, and beneficial.
Knowledge makes people proud, while love builds them up (1Corinthians 8:1).
We can do no great things, only small things with great love. (Mother Teresa)
Most people want to be successful, to achieve something significant. Their ambition is to be noted and famous. But Jesus taught that “it is the one who is least among you who is the greatest.” Greatness comes when we show our love by serving others, rather than seeking to be served. Who can you serve in love today?
Whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).
Love is the costliest of all undertakings. (F.B. Meyer, late English Pastor)
This month, our daily “Stop and Think” thoughts will relate to our understanding of what love is and how we should demonstrate it in our daily lives. From Romeo and Juliet to love stories today, love often costs one’s life. That cost may be a noble “supreme sacrifice” for the love of family or country. Jesus demonstrated such love by His own sacrifice because God “loved the world.”
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).
There are two things you can control: your choices and your attitude. The rest is in God’s hands. (Gladys Deloe, writer)
Have you ever really contemplated this? Roy T. Bennett, author of The Light in Heart, combined the two when he said, “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” Make good and right choices today, and if necessary, give yourself an attitude adjustment!
Who among [you] does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? (Job 12:9)
The choice to take action to accomplish what you want or what you deserve is entirely up to you. (Catherine Pulsifer, author)
There it is again: the necessity to make choices. When we’re faced with a decision to do or not to do, to go or not to go—we may seek advice and do our due diligence, but in the end, we have to make the choice. As Pulsifer says, “No one is going to seek you out to do it for you. It’s your move.” Do you have a source to help you choose what’s right?
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking (James 1:5).
If you don’t have the information you need to make wise choices, find someone who does. (Lori Hil, actress and writer)
When confronted with a number of choices, we’re often uncertain which is the best for us. Trial and error sometimes works, but more often results in disappointment. Hil’s advice is a wise way to go; ask someone who has faced similar choices or who has knowledge that may make your options clearer. Before you decide, seek wise counsel from trusted friends.
The godly give good advice to their friends. . . . Those who take advice are wise. . . . Plans succeed through good counsel (Proverbs 12:26; 13:10; 20:18).
It is not as hard to know what is right to do as to do what you know is right. (Author unknown)
But, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. said, “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” Human beings are born with a conscience, and with good guidance and role models, we can develop a sense of right and wrong that will affect life’s decisions. It’s up to us to choose.
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them (James 4:17).
When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is. (Author unknown)
Have you ever blamed your mistakes on circumstances or other people when the problem was that you made a wrong choice? Today’s quote challenges us to exercise control over how we respond to life’s difficulties, no matter who is to blame. You can’t control others or circumstances, but you can control your response and your attitude. It’s your choice.
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. (Proverbs 25:28; 16:32)
When you say no to what’s right, you lose the opportunity you would have had to learn something of value by doing the right thing. (paraphrase of retired minister)
There are times when we face the choice of doing what is right or something we know would be wrong. The latter choice may offer the prospect of gain or notoriety, but it would likely cost our personal integrity and maybe our reputation. Not only is it always right to do right, but failure to do so may forfeit the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience.
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ”Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right (James 2:8).
You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices. (Deepak Chopra, Indian American writer)
The ability to choose is one of the few factors in life that we can control. We choose what to wear, who our friends will be, what work we will do, and so much more. So, when you are besieged with multiple outside voices attempting to influence your choices today, “think twice; choose once.”
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living (Romans 6:16).