GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: November 30, 2025

Make the Best of It

Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. (John Wooden, late Basketball coach)

Life is full of variety. We see it in the beauty of God’s creation, the changes of the seasons, and the differences in personalities. Then, too, there are the good days with smooth sailing and the not so good days with unexpected problems and difficulties. On those occasions, try to follow Wooden’s advice and make the best of it.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity (Proverbs 21:5).

Stop & Think: November 29, 2025

Expressing Thanks

Gratitude is built into every one of us, as much a universal human characteristic as guilt. (Charles Colson, Christian apologist)

There are people who apparently have a really good life but somehow take for granted the courtesy and kindness of others. And then there’s the other person who seems always to be thanking everybody for the least little gesture of kindness. Colson is suggesting that we practice the innate grace of gratitude. It’s a God-like characteristic that encourages everyone.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. . . . And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20).

Stop & Think: November 28, 2025

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not just a day. It’s a way we can live our lives every day. (Katrina Mayer, author)

Are you a thankful person? Or do you have to be reminded, like a three-year-old: “Now, what do you say?” As author Robert Rodenmeyer instructs us: “There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, I have to; duty giving says, I ought to; thanksgiving says, I want to.”  Let’s graciously express our gratitude to God and all those who bless our lives.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34).

Stop & Think: November 27, 2025

Life

If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of. (Bruce Lee, late martial artist and actor)

Some people seem to be unhappy with life. It’s as if they wish they didn’t have to face tomorrow. Lee addresses the rest of us, who enjoy life and find pleasure in just living. We may not need his advice, but there are others who seem to suffer from inertia. If you know someone like that, remind them that wasting time is sacrificing life itself.

And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God (Ecclesiastes 5:19).

Stop & Think: November 26, 2025

Beware!

Don’t trust everything you see. Even salt looks like sugar. (Common proverb)

This obvious axiom is not really about salt. It’s a warning to maintain a healthy level of skepticism as you face life’s uncertainties. Appearances and smooth-sounding ads can be deceiving. We need to be cautious about what we see or hear and warn coming generations to beware of media deceptions. In other words, take it all with a “grain of salt.”

I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray (1 John 2:16).

Stop & Think: November 25, 2025

Change

The best part of wanting to change the world…is ultimately, YOU will be changed in the process. (Eugene Cho, world hunger relief advocate)

You cannot hope to make significant changes in the world unless you are willing to initiate change in your own life. It’s also helpful to consider a specific group who need help bringing about change, rather than thinking of the world at large or yourself personally. You may soon discover that as you help others, you have been changed for good in the process.

I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things (Revelation 2:19).

Stop & Think: November 24, 2025

Faith

The greatest act of faith takes place when a man finally decides he is not God. (Johann Goethe, 18th-19th century German writer)

In many ways, we all live lives of active faith. We trust in the blind miracles of nature (e.g., gravity) and inventions like electricity without understanding how they work. We simply trust these things to always happen. Those who accept the theory of evolution exercise as much—maybe even more faith—than those who trust the evidence of creation.

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. . . . By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen (Hebrews 11:1, 3).

Stop & Think: November 23, 2025

Judging Others

When you judge another, you do not define them; you define yourself. (Wayne Dyer, Motivational Author and Speaker)

When we are tempted to judge someone, we must be careful to limit our effort to an evaluation of their work or their words, not their character or motives. What they say and do will reveal their character, so we should let that be the evidence without our judgment. As Dyer suggests, our judgment of others really reveals more about our character than theirs.

In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you  (Matthew 7:2). 

Stop & Think: November 22, 2025

Generosity

In giving, we often receive more than we give. (Chuck Colson, justice advocate)

Next week, we have set aside a day to express our thanks for all that has been given to us as we enjoy our freedom, our health, our family and friends, and so much more. Some are even beginning to think of that special giving day just a month away. Colson reminds us that one of life’s great joys is the opportunity to offer time, help, and encouragement to others.

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Stop & Think: November 21, 2025

Purpose

The unexamined life is not worth living. (Socrates)

Many people seem to be pretty care-free about living. Eat, drink, and be merry might well be their life principle, and their influence is short lived. But the person whose life has purpose examines his or her own life. When others look at them, they will find evidences of honesty, truth, and integrity.

My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide (1 Corinthians 4:4).

Stop & Think: November 20, 2025

Change

Our job is not to change the world. It’s to transform someone else’s world. (Christoper Townsend, songwriter)

Changing the world is too large a project for only one change agent. The late inventor Steve Jobs noted that “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Add to that Townsends’s admonition that to bring wide change, it must be intended for the benefit of others.

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25).

Stop & Think: November 19, 2025

Progress

Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. (George Bernard Shaw, 18th-19th century British playwright)

Many resist change of any kind, yet, as Shaw contends, moving forward in life at any level often requires change. One’s view of progress may depend on a variety of influences: environment, education, or social standing, for example. So, to make changes that benefit the most people requires positive cooperation and careful evaluation of your progress.

Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching (1 Timothy 4:15-16).