My dear ol dad (as he likes to call himself), has a favorite saying (actually he has about 500 favorite sayings that my wife calls his "Jim-isms"), "A lot of what you see, depends on what you are looking for".
My point is this, if you look for the worst in someone, you will find something to criticize. If you look for the worst in a situation, you will find something that irritates you. If you look for the negative -- then trust me -- you will find the negative.
For a moment, I am going to get "preachy" so roll your eyes back in your head and get comfortable. Yes, I know that is what you do because I see you do it every Sunday at 11:30 am when I climb into the pulpit to preach.
A few months ago I was getting seriously depressed and negative about our nation. I had become obsessed with collecting as much negative news as possible about the direction our leaders were taking us.
Then one night as I was getting ready for bed I asked myself, "Exactly what can I do to influence any of these problems that I have myself so twisted up about?"
I know this will shock most of you but, NO ONE in Washington DC has called me this week for advice on how to handle foreign trade relations. I know, I know, I too am shocked by this.
And the "Occupy Colville" warriors, they might as well move their base of operations to Cedar Lake. No one in government leadership gives 2 hoots about protesters in Colville. And just in case you are curious, Cedar Lake is about as far north as you can go in Stevens County without crossing into Canada and speaking French. You sorta have to be lost to get there.
OK, I am climbing off my soapbox and preparing to take up an offering so reach for your wallet. Sorry, that was pastor-humor.
So let me share a couple observations on how I began to adjust my perspective.
(a) Always base your happiness & joy on things that please God.
(b) Always view circumstances & people in light of "God is in control".
(c) Beware of doomsday prophets. Ask yourself, "Do they have a solution or are they simply devil sniffers?" If they are preaching God's Word and attempting to bring people to God, then encourage and support them. But if their sole purpose is to steal your joy and depress you, then open your Bible and ask God for guidance.
(d) Finally, keep a balance on your NEWS intake. By "balance" I mean, for every minute you view the NEWS, spend a minute reading your Bible. You seriously need to view today's issues in the light of God's Word.
D.L. Moody said, "The best way to study God's Word is to have a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other".
“But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 8:19-20
