What Are We Going to Do?

Today at work a very dear lady, concerned about the status of world events began to tell me all that she had heard from her sources. Others have told me their thoughts from their sources. They conflict.

I began to stew over things and was feeling down.  I like to think of myself as a positive type person, ready to see the good in things, but this left me seeing the worst.

I had to get centered again on what I know to be true.

Years ago when I first came to faith in Jesus, I was in a similar stew…in my early 20s, life was just getting started, and there were so many tough world events going on that seemed impossible to solve. My mind was in a twirl.

I desperation I said, “God show me what to think!”

Shortly after that I saw the verse Philippians 4:8. It says to ‘fix your thoughts on what is true, and good, right, pure, lovely. Think about what is excellent and worthy of praise’.

I guess I didn’t have to worry about everything going on and keep informed on every negative event in the world…out of my control anyway.

I’m gonna pray, but not let things eat me up with worry, I’m gonna enjoy and live the life I have, that I am responsible to God and my family for.

We can allow, I said allow because it is our choice, ourselves to concentrate, focus, listen to, talk about everything negative until it’s all consuming… trying to solve and fix problems too big for us, that we don’t see our kids playing happily outside. We don’t enjoy the pretty spring day feeling the sunshine, we aren’t thinking of making something beautiful for another person. We have reverted to survival mode.

God is aware of all these happenings, yet He isn’t up there worrying. He is still sending rain, warm weather, baby animals.  The sun is still rising, the grass is greening again, trees will bud and leaf out. We will harvest crops again. In other words, He is still giving life and providing for life.

In the midst of trouble, God is not a God of scarcity, He sends abundance.

What we are going to do is change our focus from majoring on what’s bad and begin to see and major on what’s beautiful, happy, good.

What is one good thing I can focus on today?

Beauty Makes You Feel Good!

Have you ever noticed when you look at something you really like it makes you feel good?

I think God made us that way because it infuses us with power and strength just by looking at something beautiful. It actually energizes you!

Have we shut ourselves down under a form of denial…self denial or stoicism where we prevent ourselves or will not allow ourselves to look at and enjoy what God has made for us, and placed around us?

I think it honors God when we notice and appreciate and are grateful for the beautiful things in life he has given to us and placed around us to enjoy.

It’s not a form of pride, but like we as parents are happy when our children enjoy what we’ve given and have picked out for them, that’s the same way God is with us.

Don’t be afraid to notice and enjoy the beauty around you. Because really you are noticing and enjoying God, and that makes him happy!