Bad news has a way of paralyzing me. I avoid it whenever possible. I also have unreasonably high expectiations that neither I nor anyone else can achieve. Because of these two traits, I am up and down throughout the day. That's why I like God. He says he has promised to take care of me, that I don't need to worry about anything. (Matthew 6:19-34)
Is faith it a crutch? Is it just something nice to believe in so we can keep going? I've asked myself these questions many times. My answer is it's not a crutch, it's more like an electric wheelchair, and I would never be this passionate about simply thinking happy thoughts.
Seeing isn't always believing. That makes it a little harder.
Faith is, to me, is a choice of what to believe. It's a matter of perspective and priorities. If my priority is me, I'll be depressed because I'll never be pleased. Self centerness is a horrible epidemic that I have been swept in to many times. It never satisfies self.
In this world, there are good things and bad things. Many people focus on the bad because it seems to bring attention to itself. The news, for instance, is mostly bad. The workplace is a breeding ground for complaining and negativity. Marriage mixed with selfishness always produces grumblings. Somehow we think that the bad overshadows the good and we dwell on it.
What if we flipped that? What if the good was a bright light that outshown the bad? What if, instead of letting the negative diminish the positive we put prioity on the good? One of my favorite hymns says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things on earth will grow stragely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
What if the decline of overall satisfaction and the rise of fear has to do with dwelling on it? Are we generally more unsatisfied with our political leaders simply because we know everything about them? Do we lack heros because we dig for everyone's downfalls?
What if the "things on earth" are just a part of the picture? What if there are forces we cannot see? What if all that we complain about and fear is just a tiny speck of rock in a mountain of gems? I believe it is.
What if great and mighty things are happening in the physical that we don't know about? What if the good news is being filtered out of the information bombarding us? I am sure of this.
That is why I don't think that being optomistic is not an escape from reality. I think our reality is clear in God's word, which says, " in this world, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Positive attitudes are rather a weapon to battle through the sorrows. I am NOT saying I always feel like smiling. However, I do always have a word I can grab on to in order to catch a glimpse of the unseen gems. Dear God, show me the gems.
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