Daily Stop & Thinks

Team Play

If being a team player requires doing what is wrong, you’re on the wrong team. (Source unknown)

We don’t know who said this originally, but it is certainly a suggestion that ought to be understood by every reasonable person. Yet the thought that winning is everything too often overrules a sense of what’s right and fair. Unfortunately, this trend goes far beyond sports teams. But the person with integrity will work hard to bring unity around truth and justice.

What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Today

Today is more than a square on a calendar. It’s an adventure . . . a quest for character that may determine your destiny. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

Calendars are part of normal life for just about everybody. Whether it’s hanging on the wall by your desk or recorded on your portable device, it’s always there to tell you what’s coming up on your schedule. But Swindoll encourages us to see every day not just as time to schedule events and appointments, but as a gift to be used to learn and experience: simply, to grow.

I am teaching you today—yes, you— so you will trust in the Lord (Proverbs 22:19).

Common Sense

Without the common sense that there is common truth, there won’t be common justice. (Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship)

Many people are asking, “Whatever happened to common sense today?” Whether it’s in politics, education, or society in general, it seems that logic has given place to personal preference. Before his conversion, Colson had practiced a really tough life in the White House, later acknowledging the wrongdoing of his career. Finding absolute truth in the gospel, his changed benefitted us all.

[The Lord] grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity (Proverbs 2:7)

Forgiving

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. (Lewis B. Smedes, late Reformed theologian)

You have probably discovered the reality of Smedes’ observation. You remember that relieved feeling that came over you when you finally forgave someone for his or her wrong against you. Author Jonathan Lockwood Huie put it this way, “Forgiving is your gift to yourself–the gift of happiness.” Don’t wait for an apology; take the first step to reconciliation and forgive.

Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Colossians 3:13)

Love

He whom love touches not walks in darkness. (Plato, 4th-5th  century BC, Greek philosopher)

In the confusion of a fast-paced society where old, familiar terms are re-defined, it’s good to be reminded of values that last century after century. In our time love is most often identified with feelings. “Follow your heart” is the advice frequently given to people torn between love and responsibility. Genuine love, however, considers duty and loyalty as well as deep devotion

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions (1 John 3:18).

Let love be your highest goal! (1 Corinthians 14:1).

Being Good

No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. (C. S. Lewis, British writer)

The standard for good no doubt varies considerably. But even when we try to be good by whatever measure we choose, we most often discover that we have missed the mark. And the harder we try, the more difficult it seems to really be good. It ought to be evident, then, that we need help to achieve this goal.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard . . . For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Hurry

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. (Dallas Willard, late university professor)

It’s more than just your spiritual life that suffers from undue haste. How many times have you discovered an error—whether it’s simply a typo in your manuscript or missing an important appointment—because you were in a hurry? In today’s hectic pace, it’s difficult to slow down, but your physical and emotional life as well as your spiritual well-being will benefit if you do.

Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes (Proverbs 19:2).

Community

Community is not something you find; it’s something you build. (James Emory White, pastor and author)

White continues: “Community is not something discovered; it is something forged . . . all relationships of worth are products of labor.” Finding the right partner, the right job, or neighborhood is often our goal, but to have any sense of belonging requires effort and perseverance. Finding friends is one thing, molding a community of mutual benefit is another.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14).

Perspective

Man is affected not by events but by the view he takes of them. (Epictetus, 1st century B.C. Greek philosopher)

Difficult events do affect us, but our response to them is of great importance. The human spirit can overcome tragedies when people see their trials as opportunities to apply wisdom, experience, and skills directly and decisively. To see circumstances as unjust or beyond our ability is to be defeated. Prayer, work, and determination can go a long way in overcoming.

Jesus: “On earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials (2 Peter 2:9).

Character

What you are is more important than what you know. (Tim LaHaye, late evangelical author)

We often hear a similar axiom: “What you are is more important than what you do.” That’s because what you are determines pretty much what you do. In the same way, what you are is the result of your heritage, knowledge, and the choices you’ve made. But those things are only a part of who we are. Our behavior will demonstrate our true character.

May you always be filled with the . . .  righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God (Philippians 1:11).

Opinion

The world is changed by your example not by your opinion. (Paulo Coelho, Brazilian lyricist and novelist)

The belief in relativism makes self the ultimate judge of truth. What is true for you may not be true for me. So, personal opinion seems to be the ruling argument in any debate—whether in things like sports, movies, and TV or in more serious issues like religion or lifestyles. People will not respond so much to our ideas on those matters as to the integrity of our character.

Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions (Proverbs 18:2).

Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching (Titus 2:7).

Failures

Failures are part of life. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn. If you don’t learn, you’ll never change. (Quoted by Pastor Chris Suitt)

How many times have we dreamed of a project, maybe even took the first steps to achieve our dream but gave up early because we feared the project would fail. Every successful inventor, writer, and performer has failed at some point. But they didn’t let that keep them from moving on and keep trying.

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked (Proverbs 24:16).