Daily Stop & Thinks

Is it the Equipment?

The best equipment in the world, used improperly, won’t elevate your game an inch. (Author uncertain)

Whether it’s a farm implement, an auto repair tool, or sports equipment like a football or a lacrosse stick, it will not be helpful if not used properly. You can swing a baseball bat with full force, but if you can’t hit the ball, you’ll strike out. Life is like that. God has gifted each of us uniquely, and he expects us to develop and use our gift for his glory and the benefit of others.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:10)

Zeal and Truth

If our zeal is embittered by expressions of anger, invective, or scorn, we may think we are doing service to the cause of truth . . . (John Newton, 18^th century British converted slave trader)

Newton continues, “. . . when in reality we shall only bring it into discredit.” How appropriate are those thoughts today! People on both sides of political and social debates often act with hatred and malice, thinking that being “right” gives them the license to act in uncivil and harmful ways. Doing so only lessens the impact of their appeal. Truth stands best without hatred.

Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. (Galatians 4:17)

Family

Have you allowed fame, career, success, or time to get in the way of … family responsibilities? (Jim Sheard and Wally Armstrong, golf writers)

Like many professional athletes, golfers spend a lot of time away from home, often playing Thursday through Sunday with practice rounds starting even earlier. That, along with the other concerns mentioned by the authors, can surely be a strain on the family. On the other hand, we who are at home al l week can be just as neglectful, pursuing our own interest fulltime.

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

Little Problems

The more you think about the little difficulties in life, the bigger they become and still nothing is resolved. (The Global Grace Network)

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Into each life some rain must fall.” Everyone faces little problems of one kind or another; it’s just a part of normal living. Usually, we can handle those little things, but if we spend too much time thinking/worrying about them, they can become too big to handle. The truth is, worry never solved any problem, no matter its size.

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

Certainty

Whether or not you feel sure about something doesn’t make it certain it; it only defines how you feel about it. (Paraphrase of Scott Garber, author)

Have you ever been absolutely sure that you were right about something only to find out later you were wrong? It can be embarrassing, of course, but it’s always better to find out what is really true than to continue on with a wrong idea. It’s a good thing that truth doesn’t depend on how we feel. And it’s even better that there is a dependable source of truth—the Bible.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Impulses

If you’re too impulsive, you’ll make unwise choices, so when in doubt, slow down. (2 Minutes a day. 100 Devotionals)

TV commercials often are only 5-10 second sound bites with graphics that move by so quickly, we can hardly identify them. We often respond impulsively or not at all to such flashes of words or activity. Such constant quick responses can make life chaotic. Slow down today, and give yourself time to evaluate your choices.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. (Proverbs 14:8)

You’re Valuable

You are valuable just because you exist. (Max Lucado, author and minister)

Lucado continues, “Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are.” We usually judge people by their actions. While some claim that people are good by nature, others argue that not everyone is innately good. Our value, however, is in God’s having created us in his image, and it was his intent that we reflect his nature and character.

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Control

Given an equality of strength and skill, the victory in golf will be to him who is captain of his soul. (Arnold Haultain, late British writer)

In solo sports, where you may be competing against other individuals, the real test is how well you are in control of your own game. Whatever the sport, there are multiple challenges to your skill, knowledge, endurance, and even your conduct. Self-control, of course, is a challenge in the daily lives of all of us. Without it, we will surely fail at some point.

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. (Proverbs 16:32)
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. (1 Peter 1:13)

Falling

Descent is easy. (Virgil, ancient Roman poet)

Walking down the stairs, descending a ladder, falling down a hill—all are much easier than the opposite. It’s the pull of gravity, isn’t it? On the other hand, climbing the stairs, the ladder, or the hill is more difficult because we’re fighting against gravity. In Virgil’s poem, the Aeneid, he was likely alluding to a descent from a posture of loyalty, and that’s an easy fall we must avoid.

O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. (Proverbs 3:3)

Faith

When we live according to faith, we see life from a different perspective. (William Wilberforce, 18^th-19^th century British parliamentarian)

Wilberforce continues, “We see it (life) through the lens of God’s truth. The unseen becomes seen.” Life is difficult without some guiding principle and purpose. And it’s faith that provides the foresight, based not on what we can perceive naturally, but on what is revealed through a focus on the God of the unseen who willingly reveals his truth to those who trust him.

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. . . . And it is impossible to please God without faith. (Hebrews 11:1, 6)

Options

Life is a series of choices between the bad, the good, and the best. Everything depends on how we choose. (Vance Havner)

Only the older generation remembers the Sears, Roebuck catalogs—filled with merchandise and usually with three options: good, better, and best. It was all good, but you could buy better if you could afford it. Life has its options, too. Some are not good at all, and they are certainly to be avoided. The quality of our life, then, will most often depend on the choices we make.

Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. (Psalm 25:12)
A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. (Ecclesiastes 10:2)

Learning

A man, though wise, should never be ashamed of learning more, and must unbend his mind. (Sophocles, ancient Greet tragedian)

The wisest of men will surely recognize that they don’t know it all. There is still more to discover and learn. Unfortunately, in today’s world where truth is often ignored, minds can be frozen in their own political, religious, or social agenda, leaving no room or inclination to expand knowledge. That’s a failing agenda. Look for ways to learn and grow today.

Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. (Proverbs 18:15)