Daily Stop & Thinks

Know it All

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers. (James Thurber, late humorist and author)

Have you ever known someone who had all the answers, no matter what the questions? He or she wasn’t always the nicest person to be around; conversations were often short-changed because an answer was quickly given before there was any helpful discussion. Maybe, like Jeopardy, we might begin with the answer and try to find the questions. Would that be helpful?

Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. (1 Corinthians 8:2)

Courage

One man with courage makes a majority. (Often attributed to Andrew Jackson)

Although it’s unclear as to who may have first made this statement, it certainly offers a challenge to anyone facing a really tough situation. Perhaps one person with foresight and daring will recruit a team of others to face the dilemma. But if you’re by yourself and must face the problem alone, it would be wise to exercise faith and trust in the One who is able.

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Do I or Don’t I?       

If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. (Jim Rohn, late entrepreneur)

When it comes to a project or chore that needs attention, we are sometimes faced with a dilemma: do I really want to do this? How important is it to me? How much time will it take? Am I capable? It really just boils down to what we want to do, and Rohn explains the two alternatives. The basic issues, then, are motivation and priority. Choose well.

All who are prudent act with knowledge (Proverbs 13:16). For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

Truth 

The truth isn’t always beauty, but the hunger for it is. (Nadine Gordimer, late Nobel prize-winning author)

Someone has said that the truth hurts only when it applies. Indeed, the truth can be painful, but it is a necessary factor in successful community living. We can’t function well on continual lies and cover-ups. The mantra for achieving justice in the court of law is “Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Never abandon the pursuit of truth.

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free… Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. (John 8:32; 17:17)

Prayer

Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance but laying hold of His willingness. (Martin Luther King)

The Apostle James wrote, “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure (James 4:2-3). We can go to a loving God with our needs, but our motives must be pure and unselfish. When our hearts are right, God will respond for our good.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. (Psalm 37:4)

Friendship

True friendship is never serene. (Marquise de Sevigne, noted 17^th century French letter-writer)

Poet Kahil Gibran put it this way, “Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” Long-time friends have learned to be honest and candid. They don’t gloss over failures. They suffer with their friends but are careful to offer gentle correction when it’s appropriate. True friends work together lovingly for mutual improvement and benefit.

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy . . .  The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (Proverbs 27:6, 9)

Life and Love

To live is to love. To love is to risk. To risk pain is to live. (Lysa TerKeurst. Inspirational author)

TerKeurst concludes, “It’s what it means to be truly human.” Love, risk, live—three words of significance to consider carefully. No one really wants pain, and everyone wants to love and be loved. Sadly, we all have experienced the hurt and pain that sometimes results from loving and losing. But in spite of that risk, it is really worth the cost of loving.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Perspective

The best view comes after the hardest climb. (Author unknown)

This must have been said after a successful climb up some high peak, while enjoying a beautiful view of the horizon. Photos of such a vision can be awe-inspiring but perhaps not quite as grand as the personal sight. Life is like that, too. After the long and hard struggle in a difficult time—the new perspective can be greatly uplifting and give new hope.

What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Romans 8:18)

Warnings

Persistence

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to just try one more time. (Thomas Edison, prolific inventor)

Edison, we’re told, tried some experiments hundreds of times before he found a workable model of his idea. In the 21st-century we still profit from his work more than 100 years ago. Among his almost 1100 patents, he gave us the phonograph (does anybody today have one?), the incandescent light bulb, and the motion picture camera. Out of many failures came much success.

Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Decisions

It is choice and not chance that determines destiny. (Regina Brett, inspirational speaker)

A number of years ago a small college in the Midwest produced a film titled “Decision Determines Destiny.” They were targeting potential college students, stressing the importance of making the right decisions. Choice, after all, is one of the very few things in life that we can control. So, give careful thought to your choices; they will affect your life for good or ill.

Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. (Proverbs 2:11)

Happiness

The trick is to find happiness in the brief gaps between disasters (Christopher Paolini, American screenwriter)

This writer gives the impression that life is mostly a series of disasters. That may be true for some, but for most of us, the disasters are the gaps in an otherwise satisfactory life. His point, however, is good for us to consider. Is it just a “trick” to find happiness or is there a way to experience joy and contentment for most of our days?

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. (Romans 15:13)