We live in a world that can easily be a dark place. Beneath the surface and in the many cracks of life are slivers of negativity, anger and gossip.... just waiting to engulf us and lead us away from the light. It's interesting how quickly we can become a part of this if we are not careful. We all have a past... we have hurt people we love and we have been hurt. Some might think that since life has dealt them such a yucky hand, they are going to give nothing back but a bunch of "Yuckiness". There are people in the world that complain, they are bitter, they are mean for now reason, and they have this idea that nothing in life will ever be good. Even if we are not those types of people, we still have our moments.
Complaining does not get us anywhere in life. Yes, we all do it and we need time to vent about life, but eventually, we have to move on. If we continue to surround ourselves with negative conversations and continue to dwell on the little inconveniences in life, we are never going to be able to see the good.
I have had many conversations with people about optimism and a positive attitude, and some would say that life is just never going to get better no matter how many times they say life can be good. But I am convinced that what we say, what we think, what we give to others, whether good or bad, is what we will be surrounded with on a daily basis.
There are plenty of situations in life, such as cancer, death, terminal illnesses... that are real problems. These things are not easy and they give us the right to complain, be angry, question God, and to wonder if life really is all that good. It is inevitable that we will all face this one day, if we do not go first. But even in these situations, eventually God will want us to heal and be able to move on and see the good in life again.
On the other hand, there are things in life that we just need to deal with and move on from quickly. I am talking about small everyday things that come up. Every small setback can't be the end of the world. If you say that your day is ruined, than it is going to be. If you say it's just a little set back and it's not going to ruin your day, than it wont.
If we speak words of kindness, encourage one another, practice patience, listen to one another, offer our help, tell ourselves we can do anything we set our mind to... than these are the things that will fill our days, and they will have a positive affect on us. If we walk around with our heads down, dragging our feet, having something negative to say about everything... these are the things that will fill our day... and of course that's not going to be a good day.
In life situations, we can either choose to be a part of the problem or part of the solution. Maybe we need to stop complaining so much about what life isn't, and focus on what it is. Stop focusing on other's flaws, and highlight their strengths. Stop worrying about what could happen, and focus on how to move on from what has already happened. Stop telling ourselves we can't, and remember that with Christ, we can do anything.
Life is short- Over before we know it. Will we spend our time sulking through the imperfections or take those imperfections and make something good? I believe there will be moments of unhappiness, but I do not believe God would want us to go through life unhappy. The one thing life and others cannot control is your attitude and your outlook on life. No one can steal your joy without your permission.
I write this, because I too need to be reminded. When I get down on life, one of you can show me this :) We all need a little push sometimes, because life is hard.
If just for today, let's look at the good and have a positive attitude.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)
