Post by tomdurst on Apr 7, 2008 10:41:21 GMT -5
SUMMING IT ALL UP
by Thomas E. Durst
by Thomas E. Durst
Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
There are many things going on in this old world of ours that are really terrible and yet they are in our face everyday in the news. Some folks spend hours glued to their TVs or computers continually dwelling on all of this. I don't have cable and watch no TV but I get news from Internet headlines, radio, and from the newspaper here and there. That is about all I can stand!
Dwelling on negative things, even if they are factually accurate, can be self-defeating and bring suffering to ourselves and others. If we feel that there are a lot of false beliefs going around it is wise to recognize what is helpful to us and discard what isn't but on the other hand to keep dwelling on and on about what we feel are false beliefs is something that can be very discouraging. There are a lot of wonderful things that we can believe in if we so choose. I do my best to find positive and uplifting things to think about and share with others whenever I can.
There are positive things going on in the world that we could talk about. There is a lot of good in people if we'll take the time to look for it and try to recognize it.
Life would be more pleasant and productive if we would dwell more on things that are praiseworthy and positive than allowing ourselves to get sidetracked by dwelling on the negative.
What do you think?
_________________
Happiness lies in the joy
of achievement and the
thrill of creative effort.
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
To read more posts on RELATIONSHIPS click on the link below:
RELATIONSHIPS
