Having a godly attitude in your thinking is very important in God’s eyes. Your ideas, attitude, and the things you desire are things which you have the power to create and have control over, that shouldn’t be ignored when desiring to live a positive lifestyle.
To simply be positive… it seems easy, one might think. Why is it so easy for the average person to lie about the most meaningless things in life? People just lie for no reason at all, and I believe at times they probably lie just for the sake of lying! I love being around positive people, experiencing a sincere smile will brighten my day like the sun illuminates the morning blue sky. And, the fact that many people are negative, is normal; it’s embedded in our culture. It is the same reason why many popular news channels focus their attention more so on the stories which are tragic, negative, and shows people in their worst, while not hardly giving any attention to the things which positively affect our communities; and when they do, in a great deal of cases it is harsh criticism.
The atmosphere of the world around us can often delude our minds; affecting speech, mannerisms, convictions, and will create a foundation for things of the flesh, which are not of God. Bad attitudes will create confusion in a person’s thinking. We react to how we think. And, anyone who really wholeheartedly believes what is in the Bible should take the initiative to read it, so they can know what exactly is in it.
It’s not easy to be positive, because in everyday life it’s so easy to find ways to justify any selfish thought or negative thinking…
“Oh, I’m just looking at these pictures in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. It’s normal; it’s in Wal-Mart.” – IMPURITY
“Well, since they didn’t invite me to their party, I’m not going to speak to them.” – DISSENSION
“I didn’t want to tell you… but, he said this negative thing about you.” – STRIFE
“Look at that dress she’s wearing, I bet she thinks she’s somebody.” – ENVY
I could go on and on and on… the root of the issue is in how we think, and allowing God to place the fruits of the Spirit into our hearts. Then in everything we do, our actions will be identified as positive, done in respect and love, with the intent to build up and encourage people to be apart and reside in God’s kingdom.
- Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these…— Gal. 5:19-21 NASB
- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.— Galatians 5:22-23 NASB
**Scriptural evidence: God chose to bless David and his descendants, when David expressed his heart to build a house of cedar for the ark of God. Though circumstances caused Solomon to build a house for the ark of God, God appreciated David’s heart and blessed him for it.
David’s Thoughts: [1 Sam. 7:1-2] – 1-2Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.”
God’s reply to Nathan (the prophet) about David’s thoughts: [1 Sam. 7:5-7,13] – 5-7“Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a [a]tabernacle. Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’ — 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.