Choose to see the positive

Philippians 4 vs 8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

I have been scanning through the local newspapers and it all makes such sad reading, nothing at all that is positive or uplifting is being shared. It speaks of misery to come or tragedy that has already occurred.

So much negativity is spewed and as I read through it I thought of all the souls that are the subject of so much hate on a daily basis. I have often wondered why any one would want to be a leader or better still offer themselves for service when the daily serving is a population that is baying for blood and is fueled by a media that thrives on selling the prospect of doom.

I have never understood what can drive a person to the depths of continually wishing ill of the other, to a point where they make it their life’s mission to only share negative things that do not edify.

We are the products of the environment we live in and ultimately what we consume. So much of who we are is a result of what we are exposed to on a daily basis. To be happy and friendly you must be exposed to happy thoughts or at least pleasantness. Bitterness is a normal default setting that can only be made worse by continually injecting negative thoughts into your already jaded and tired soul. We are who we decide to be and we are driven by what we decide to consume.

In the book of Jeremiah, at the conclusion of a difficult period in which the remnant of the children of Israel who had survived captivity under the leadership of Jeremiah, they had just finished rebuilding the city walls against incredible odds. At the point of completion Jeremiah called on the priest to read from the book of the law to his congregants.

Upon reading the Bible in the form that it was presented in, the children of Israel made a recommitment to rededicate their lives to the Lord. The sharing of the word brought to them a reality that had been missing. It was as if the Lord was speaking to them directly. In a world similar to the one in which we live, where we are exposed to all manner of toxicity which is our daily bread, one’s character can be altered to a point where the abnormal becomes our norm.

The Lord never intended for you to be bombarded with negativity but He intended for us to live by every word that comes from the fountain of His mouth. The Bible is His direct instruction to us; it is not only inspiring, uplifting and an all round good read, it’s probably the best way to start your day.

Make a decision on what you choose to believe and hear. You serve a living God who is alive, His desire for your life is not what is being said to you everyday and from every corner that cares to be heard. He wants better for you, He assures you that at whatever point you may be, He has the power to uplift and change those circumstances. If He can turn water into wine He can certainly change the newspaper headlines to not being the reality they are pressing you to believe, that everything is lost and there is very little to hope for.

Chose to believe. Choose to read from the bread of life and believe the truth it says about your life today, tomorrow and for eternity to come. Be blessed For more info:

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