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A Quick Thought: We All Need An Emotional Makeover In our modern culture I think we all need an Emotional Makeover. I am serious. So many people I know are depressed to one degree or another. It is out of control! Surely there are a lot of things we could blame that on. I could start with the secular media and the News distribution centers on TV, Internet and Newspapers. They frequently focus on the negative and rarely focus on the positive. They have become distribution channels to sow fear and paranoia in the nations! We need information about world events but the 'bias' on that reporting must be reformed! I can wait to see Christian News Agencies arise that will report the good and the bad in a clean way! However, I am not going to start there. I am going to focus on our individual free will and what we choose to Focus upon! Consider this verse: "And we, who with unveiled faces all contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness...." 2 Corinthians3:18 Basically this verse is saying that you become like whatever you focus upon! What you behold you become! If you are focusing on Jesus' goodness, joy and pleasure in broken weak people who are trying to follow Him, you will be encouraged and grow into noble men and women of destiny. If, however, you focus on the problems of the world, the problems of your community and your personal problems, you will be discouraged and depressed. It is a fact! Now I don't advocate ignoring problems. But let's keep 80% of our focus on what is going right and being thankful for what God has done for us. Let's choose a lifestyle where we are remembering God's goodness and closeness to us. Let's control our negative tendencies and limit focusing on what is wrong to 20% of our time. Unfortunately it is basic human nature to reverse those percentages. I was just sitting around the breakfast table with a dear family that I love. The choice in conversation they made was: "Wow, cantaloupe is so expensive this year! I bet it doesn't even taste good." Another said, "If health care goes up any more I may have to leave retirement and go back to work." Another offered, "I heard that Bob's pancreas was acting up again. I sure don't know what the doctors are going to be able to do for him." If it wasn't so sad it would be hilarious! Why? Because this is a family who lives in a beautiful place! They have a lovely home with a big back yard! They have a truly great family! Their whole family has faith in Jesus and hope for eternity! Their financial state is not luxurious but it is relatively comfortable! They have had good jobs and lots of loving friendships. And on the list goes... if they would take the time to write down that list! Look at their free will choice! Daily and hour by hour we are choosing what to focus on - and it is evident by what comes out of our mouths! We have to start making a choice to be bitter or get better. We can focus on what is wrong or what is right. And what is so unpleasurable about remembering all that has gone right and reveling in it? Let's get some people going crazy with that one. They would be a lot of fun to be around! Now, I am not advocating some sort of sappy dirge-like rubbish where people moan, "Wow, I am just sssoooooo glad that Jesus helped me do such and such!" Or some person who is trying to be thankful but doesn't really believe it themselves, "God is just ssssooooo Good." Let's not fake this and be pathetic. Let's be honest and really identify something we can be thankful for. If not, then don't make something up you don't really believe. The Bible constantly warns us about grumbling and gossiping and urges us to be thankful and remember what God has done! Try it! Sit down and make a list of all the things that you are thankful for. Really, do it right now! Everything that you would miss if it were taken away. Write a little bullet point list and say, "Thank you for such and such." By the end of 15 minutes your whole day will change. By the end of a month of doing this in your daily prayer time you will be filled with faith and vision. Doing this as a daily lifestyle you will be the Son or Daughter of God that you have always longed to be. Now that is a habit you want to get addicted to! Don't just read this... do it! Remember, what ever you focus upon... that is what you will become like! 2 Corinthians 3:18. Make a choice to be focused on Jesus and the things you are thankful for and you will find that you have had an Emotional Makeover. Your whole life will change and you will have too many friends to spend time with them all. Above all you might even get delivered from depression! "...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, Gladness and Praise (or Thanksgiving) instead of mourning or despair. That is what God has invited us to focus on! Part of this is about rejecting the spirit of Apathy and Complacency in this age for the spirit of Action and Thankfulness! Think about it! Then ACT! |
