Positive –

Positive – Although my focus on these weekly words “from God’s lips” are always words that have a positive spin, I felt drawn this time to use that very same word – positive.  Do you consider yourself a positive person – you know, glass half full versus half empty?  For me, if a worry arises, my mind seems to go to the negative side because I’m afraid to get my hopes up, only then to be disappointed.  Boy, that’s sad, especially that I’m admitting it to you.  When I listen to friends’ stories and concerns, I’m always telling them to think positive.  “Everything will be okay.  I will pray for you.  You don’t need to worry.”  Although I am far from an expert on the bible and not particularly good at quoting verses from memory, I am inspired by all the positive and miraculous stories in the New Testament.  Jesus’ followers believed in Him, and most were positive He could heal them in many ways.  I’ll say it again, “They believed!”  That’s where our minds should always be – focused on the positive.  Scriptures like “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move;” or “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”  Each of us needs to hear, and picture, Jesus speaking these words to us individually, when that temptation arises and we fall into the glass half empty mode.  “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Do things always go the right way for us?  Of course not.  Sometimes, we are disappointed when we ask God to answer every one of our prayers, (and that would be numerous ones each day) and the outcome is not up to our expectations or we may only get silence.  Suddenly I get the feeling, from deep within, how selfish I have been to not be more positive and acknowledge that Jesus has always watched over me.  He has met all my desires and more; and, I have been blessed far more times than I deserve.  That is what I feel positive about.  That is what we can all focus on this week (and long after), to be thankful for “our glasses” that Jesus always keeps filled.  Together, let us strive to keep our eyes on Him and our glass will never be empty – and that is the only thing we need to be positive about!

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your throughs on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Philippians 4:8