Some special thoughts shared with me!

[Fred N]

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood."

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or... I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or... I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

He continued, ".. the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me
into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep
breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

[rimrock]

I genuinely get where you are going – really, but I do see an issue with it and that would be a potential to become someone who is totally self-reliant. I must come up with the strength to see the good in all things. A good and joy filled life is now subject to my own ability to choose it and my own strength to live it.

The point of the quote from Matthew you cited is not to worry over the real needs of our lives, that by our own efforts we can control them or make them happen, but to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33). It isn’t to be self-reliant but completely God-reliant – freedom comes from here. The danger is pretty soon I’m so self-sufficient everything being my positive choice that I could even become ignorant of my own sinful life. Well than who needs a Savior now, because I’m doing quite well on my own thank you very much Everything is good – I can somehow by my ability choose not to do anything evil and live completely unselfishly. I’m no longer grieved or broken over sin, I don’t come before the Cross and see my utter helplessness, and my joy no longer comes from being the undeserving forgiven loved and valued son of the King. My worth comes from myself because of the choices I make, instead of the worth God places on me because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Real joy overflows into daily life by knowing who you are in God’s eyes not by our choices.

I entirely agree we need to strive to live our lives in a manner that brings glory to God, but as I reflex on some of the choices I have made this week I quickly see that it just doesn’t measure up. I again turn back to the Cross with nothing but sin and God responses with what sin Brad “as far as the east is from the west so far have I removed your sins” from you they were gone the minute you confessed – I only see my Son. Now that’s something special!

[AnglersRental]

I once read something written on a bathroom wall that made a lot of sense

"only 10% of my life is what happens to me, the other 90% of my life is how I react to it"

Just goes to show you find wisdom in the strangest places. :flowered:

Brad

[Fred N]

Thanks for your thoughts Rimrock & Uglygreen. It is all good, we just need to recognize where our strengths come from. Thank you Jesus for giving me the strength to remain positive and enjoy the life given me.

[fishnwHim]

My Grandfather was a man I looked up to all my life , He always had a smile on his face and I loved being around him. One time when I was in my early thirties I asked him, grandpa don't you ever get depressed or worried ? He looked right at me, smiled and said, why would I , God is in control of everything. He really lived those words and he left me with a wonderful memory that I will never forget. :applause: :applause:

[rimrock]

Hello again brothers. Yes, as I said I do completely understand where you are coming from. To remain positive and focusing on the good in our lives, the many blessings around us that we are mostly unaware of, and the largest of all God is always in control. No matter what I do or not do doesn’t affect God’s control – what a great comfort that is.

But God knows real life, not everything is good with rainbows and roses. Jesus despaired in the garden before His arrest was prophesied to be a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Many of the other heroes of the faith endured great trails. The Psalms are FULL of real life “why have you forsake me?” “why are you so far from me?” “my bones wax old” and on and on. I believe this is why the Psalms over the ages have been of great comfort to so many of the saints – It’s real with great joy and sadness.

What do we tell fellow believers when they despair? You got to look for the good? You must be positive not negative? I spend much time in ministry listening to many a difficult story. God tells me in scripture to “rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.” If we tell people come to faith in Jesus and all will be good no problems will befall you; you will learn to be always positive. What will happen to these people when they don’t feel that way – will they think they are bad Christians?

When my son almost died a little over a year ago I was in great despair. I still remember praying alone in my den at night pleading with God for him to live. I knew God was still God no matter what would happened that He was still going to be on His throne in control, but my hands my face were still soaked with tears and there was no light in my eyes. I didn’t see good. What good? I knew like no time before that this world is under a curse and terrible things happen, but a time would come when this would not be. But that night all I knew was despair. Am I a bad Christian or a bad example to those in the flock that I shepherd?

Yes, brothers I do understand your point and encourage your approach, but let’s not lead anyone down a garden path that doesn’t conform to real life. Joy comes not from within our ability to choose it, but in knowing who we are in the eyes of Jesus.

[Talljeeper]

Thank you Jesus for giving me the strength to remain positive and enjoy the life given me.



Amen to that Fred!!
Paul