Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
When I was nine years old, my great-grandfather died. I remember sitting on my great-grandmother’s lap in their little farmhouse at Wilburn, Arkansas, and telling her how sorry I was. She replied that everything would be okay… that we would all be okay. I can still remember my mother saying, “Granny is a strong woman.” In recent years, I learned that there was at least a time when Granny was anything but strong. She “took to her bed”, as old-timers like to say - somewhere around 1920 - and stayed there for SEVENTEEN YEARS! From what we can glean, we believe that Granny suffered a nervous breakdown after a bout with the flu – and possibly a miscarriage. My paternal grandmother, who grew up with Granny’s children, always said that “Granny had some sort of ‘spell’ and just went to bed.”
One of Granny’s daughters told Mother that my great-grandfather tried everything to cheer her up… taking her on wagon rides on Sunday afternoons… even moving into town for a year so that Granny could drink local mineral waters that were said to have healing effects… doing virtually anything he thought might please her. It was all to no avail. Granny ran her family (my great-grandfather, my grandfather, his brother and a toddler sister) and her household from bed… and she even bore two more children during this time. And as my grandfather and his older siblings grew up and left home, Granny gradually began to get up out of bed and take on a few household chores… and even some cooking. She died in 1968, at the age of 79. I was grown and married before I ever knew anything of this 17-year episode.
There are a lot of us who have figuratively “taken to our beds” – if not literally. We mope around with an unpleasant look on our faces and an unhappy attitude. We gripe and complain… about everything. Many have even built a reputation for being a negative person… someone whom others don’t care to be around – at least for very long. I know a few people like this, don’t you? They are always mad or angry about something or someone…nothing is ever quite right…and every word from their mouth is tinged with a hint of displeasure and dissatisfaction. The crazy thing is that some of these people even claim to be Spirit-filled Christians!
I GOOGLED the phrase “positive people”… hoping to find some inspirational personal stories of people who have remained positive and pleasant against all odds. Instead, I found this list of 10 Essential Habits of Positive People at a website called Lifehack.org. (http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/the-10-essential-habits-of-positive-people.html) Please visit this site and read the commentary that expounds on each of these ten points. It’s very good and highly enlightening. But here are the 10 basic points…
- Positive people don’t confuse quitting with letting go.
- Positive people don’t just have a good day – they make a good day.
- For the positive person, the past stays in the past.
- Show me a positive person and I can show you a grateful person.
- Rather than being stuck in their limitations, positive people are energized by their possibilities.
- Positive people do not let their fears interfere with their lives!
- Positive people smile a lot!
- People who are positive are great communicators.
- Positive people realize that if you live long enough, there are times for great pain and sadness.
- Positive persons are empowered people – they refuse to blame others and are not victims in life.
God doesn’t love us any less when we behave in this manner… but He surely would like to see us turn this around. We can… and He will help us! But here’s the deal… it’s our choice! We can choose to call on the LORD and summon every ounce of strength and resolve necessary to overcome negative forces in our life… to become positive people who fill our minds and meditate on “things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” We can put into practice the teachings of Jesus… all that we have seen, heard and realized. Or we can allow the devil to have a field day – to consume us with negative thoughts and attitudes, depression, disillusionment, and a general dissatisfaction with our life and everyone in it.
I know some of you will argue that there are extenuating circumstances… medical complications and mental disorders that cause some to behave this way. And you are right. But most of us use this as a crutch because we don’t want to accept our own choices. Too many of us rather enjoy wallowing in self-pity and negativity… and we have chosen to stay there!
I don’t know about you, but this is an easy decision for me. I want the joys and symple rhythms of a life in Christ… one where He helps me over the bumps in the road and through the difficult times – and there will always be difficult times – and moves me along toward heaven. I want to operate in service that pleases Him… an attitude that says that my life in Christ can overcome any obstacles and hitches the devil tries to place in my path. Like my Granny told me when I was ten, everything will be okay. I believe that, because I believe that God will work everything together for His perfect harmonies in those who choose to love and serve Him.
What do you believe? And how will you choose to operate?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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