Our Lord Jesus sums up living positively with two rules: “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31).
Of course, if we love God with everything we have, we won’t disobey him. And if we love our neighbors, we won’t steal from them, lie to them, or do any of the other negative things that can destroy their happiness and peace of mind (and ours!). However, none of us is perfect, and the Scriptures warn God’s people over and over against the ungodly, negative behavior that it’s so easy to fall into.
But how can you and I avoid such behavior and live more positively? One thing’s for sure: we can’t live as we should in our own strength. All of us sin and come short of God’s desire for us (Romans 3:23). “Without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]” (Hebrews 11:6). Today we can live as we should by “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
An old Cherokee Indian tried to help his grandson by telling him about the war between good and evil that affects everyone. He said, “The battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, inferiority, lies, and false pride. The other wolf is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.” The boy asked, “Which one wins?” The old Indian answered, “The one you feed.”
What are you doing to feed your positive side, to help good triumph in your own life? The closer you live to God, the more positive, upbeat and truly successful you will be. Read your Bible; pray; attend worship services. Join with the Psalmist in saying, “It is good for me to draw near to God” (73:28).
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