Like this:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ”  Phillipians 4:8-9

Just a reminder to me to not FOCUS on the bad things.  This is not saying that bad things don’t exist.  They do.   This is not choosing to ignore them.   Sometimes we can’t.   But this is a reminder that we don’t have to think & dwell  on these things.  I know this verse can be taken in lots of different ways.  But it hit me this week that this is also so very true when it comes to negativity.  Ever noticed how when you are negative how down you get, how irritable you are, how you then begin to just be depressed?  Somebody mentioned in Bible Study how sin starts with ungratefulness … and that is SO true.  

What in my situation is good?  Not the bad things, but the GOOD things (again, not saying that there aren’t bad things).  It is not just being optimistic.  But it is CHOOSING to think on the good things, on the pure things, on the lovely things, on the excellence things.  Look for the things worthy of praise and think on these things.   

This is a huge reminder to me.  God isn’t praised in our negativity.  We are constantly complaining about our circumstances, when we are constantly complaining about others, when we are just constantly complaining — how is He getting the glory?  When we complain, do we draw others to Him in that? When we are looking at others and seeing the bad in them and focusing on their faults, is that causing us to love them more  – or less?   

 

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