GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: February 21, 2026

Love

We become like that which we love. (Bishop Fulton Sheen)

Is it true that people begin to look like their pets? That’s probably just a joke, but there is some truth to what Bishop Sheen says. Over the years of marriage couples do begin to think and act alike. But if we become so infatuated with the things of this temporary life, we will miss out on God’s very best intention for us – becoming like His son, Jesus.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,  all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Mark 12:30).

Stop & Think: February 20, 2026

Love

Who is wise in love, love most, say least. (Lord Alfred Tennyson, 19th century English poet)

Many are the words of love. Gifted artists have given us innumerable songs, poems, and prose tributes to the elusive qualities of love. While almost everyone appreciates hearing words of love, the best evidence of caring for someone is not in the quantity of words, but in the thoughtful actions that encourage, benefit, and uplift the loved one.

. . . we must not only talk about loving people; we must show we love people by what we do for them. We must really love them. (1 John 3:18)

Stop & Think: February 19, 2026

Love

Love doesn’t make the world go round, it makes the ride worthwhile. (Franklin P. Jones, late American journalist)

There are many words for love, along with many definitions. Infatuation with the emotion of romantic love might at times make you think that what you are experiencing at the moment is the most important thing in the world. Actually, biblical love is the one that makes the experience of loving relationships fulfilling.

Your love. . . has brought me great joy and much encouragement! You have cheered the hearts of all of God’s people (Philemon 1:7).

Stop & Think: February 18, 2026

Love

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love. (Henry Drummond, Scottish writer and lecturer)

The love Drummond spoke about is not the erotic or romantic love that saturates our modern culture. Such love brings only temporary, elusive satisfaction at best. But when we act toward others with biblical love, both the loved one and the one showing love find lasting satisfaction and joy.

Love never fails. . . . And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:8,13).

Stop & Think: February 17, 2026

Love

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye. (Antoine de Saint Exupery, 20th century French writer)

There is more to life than meets the eye, isn’t there? We can’t see another person’s thoughts, for example, or know his intentions apart from his words or actions. But we can understand the realities of relationships and love by seeing something beyond what our physical eyes can see. It’s a compatibility of heart and mind that gives life its clearest understanding.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).

Stop & Think: February 16, 2026

Love

Success in marriage depends on being able, when you get over being in love, to really love. (Eleanor Roosevelt, late US First Lady)

Even before Shakespeare took pen in hand, mankind loved a lover. But, as Mrs. Roosevelt suggests, that romantic feeling of newlyweds doesn’t last forever. Then, the test really begins. It’s not an emotion so much as a commitment to show you care by your willingness to sacrifice for your loved one—along with plenty of romance.

[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Stop & Think: February 15, 2026

Love

Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. (H. L. Mencken, late journalist)

God has created us with minds that can accumulate knowledge but can also soar with imagination and creativity. We have more than just intellect; we have hearts that bring meaning and emotion to our lives. Don’t be satisfied with mere intellectual achievement, but remember that love adds to what is lacking in mere knowledge.

Don’t ever forget [love] and truth. Wear them like a necklace. write them on your heart as if on a tablet (Proverbs 3:3).

Stop & Think: February 14, 2026

Love

A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver. (Thomas à Kempis, (German Dutch Catholic canon)

Everyone loves to give and receive gifts. Whether it’s Christmas, your birthday, or Valentine’s Day, it’s nice to be remembered with a gift. With children, the gift often matters more than the giver. But, As we mature, it isn’t the size or the value; it’s the expression of the love of the giver that we cherish.

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.… We love because he first loved us (John 3:16; 1 John 4:19).

Stop & Think: February 13, 2026

Love

In our life there is a single color, as on an artist`s palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love. (Marc Chagall, late French artist)

We may think of black as the color of evil in contrast to white or red for love. There would, no doubt, be many shades in between to represent the variety of emotions and characteristics within the human heart. Chagall may be on to something. No matter what color says love to you, love God supremely and others selflessly.

 Jesus: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. . . . . [and] Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:27, 29).

Stop & Think: February 12, 2026

Love

The best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother. (Abraham Lincoln)

On this anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, we would do well to recall some of his wisdom. This admonition of his is perhaps one of the most needed today. Many families are in trouble, and as a result, our neighborhoods suffer from their dysfunction. This one challenge—that fathers love their wives–would make a significant difference.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).

Stop & Think: February 11, 2026

Love

Truth without love is brutality. Love without truth is hypocrisy  (Mike Lee, former pastor)

Some apologists revere revealed truth and may offend others by the bold way they express it. The Bible teaches us to “speak the truth in love,” but at the same time, we should be careful of going to the extreme of being so gracious and loving that we water down truth in order not to offend someone. Jesus set the example when he spoke the truth with grace.

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love (2 John 1:3).

Stop & Think: February 10, 2026

Love

I decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to carry. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

There’s something unusual about hatred. When we hate someone, we carry that emotion constantly and suffer from it. At the same time, the person we hate may be completely unaware of our feelings. He is free; we are burdened. How much better to love; everyone benefits.

But to you who are willing to listen, I say, “Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27).