Killing The Negative & Building On The Possitive

Philippians 4:8

New Living Translation (NLT)

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

 

When all the world is spinning around us and it seems practically impossible to focus...focus on the good around you. There is always something good that can be held onto, cherished and focused on in the midst of chaos.

For instance, our family has been going through ridiculous financial issues over the past 4 years. Every year our income has shrunk and things have gotten tighter and tighter.  There have been days when I simply curl-up, cry and pour out my heart to God because I can't handle the stress that comes along with it all.  Those moments are so terribly hard for me to get through.

Then, once I've allowed all of that negative energy to vacate my being, I remember that there is so much to be thankful for. There is a roof over our heads, my children are not going hungry, there are no hospital visits because we have good health, our clothes are still all intact, we are not on the corner begging for money or food...just one of those things is enough to be thankful for. 

Something as simple as good health should be held up high and cherished.

Simply getting to tuck my girls in at night and kiss their precious little faces...how many parents have been robbed of that?

When I feel completely overwhelmed I look outside, really look, and see how amazing God's creation is. Taking time to be in awe and amazement at the detail in every little leaf, mountaintop, bird in the sky, all of it pulls me out of the funk that can so easily ensnare me. 

God has given us treasures all around to focus on, meditate on, be grateful and thankful for.  Those precious moments that can so easily be overlooked and passed-by are nuggets that are full of value.

Don't let the world and all of the stresses in it rob you of those nuggets.  Think about all of the good moments that God has blessed you with.  How many times has your life been spared? How many times has help come out of nowhere when you've needed it? When was the last time that you really gave thanks for the little things in life?

In the midst of whatever you are going through find something that you can be thankful for...hold onto it and give thanks to your Creator for it. God moves mountains in the midst of praise and thanksgiving. He can take the stresses of our daily coming and goings and turn them into air.  Nothing in the world compares to the peace that He gives so freely...we just have to embrace it. 

Choose to think on the positives. Don't let the negatives rule your life. That is not the life that God wants for you...but He's not going to shift your focus. YOU have to.