Focusing on God

My boyfriend recently posted a tweet that was so great, I had to retweet it AND favorite it. It said, "Today I choose to focus on the love of God rather than the works of the enemy."

That is FANTASTIC advice and also a great mindset to have when starting out our days! I'll be the first to admit, though, that I don't always have that kind of mindset, especially when something is really bothering me that day.

Sometimes I buy into the myth that it is so much easier to focus on the negatives than the positives. I feel sorry for myself, I'm upset, frustrated, sad, or angry, and sometimes I even just mope around (and complain...gross). But is it really easier to focus on the negatives?

Focusing on the negatives doesn't bring anything positive into your life. It attracts all kinds of other negatives. Suddenly it's not just the one thing that is bothering you, but all sorts of little things (and sometimes big things) bother you. I find that when I focus on the negatives in my life, I feel like I'm in a pit and can't climb my way out of it. (And believe me, pits are not fun to be in.) I feel a little, well...suffocated.

The Bible says to think about good things, which, if I'm correct, doesn't mean focusing on negatives. Philippians 4:8 says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." The last time I checked, none of the negative stuff in my life was ever excellent or worthy of praise.

Focusing on positives sometimes is easier said than done. Like I said, that whole pit thing...it can really feel like your whole day has turned to mush because of a few negatives. I've been dealing with that a lot recently, but my boyfriend has helped remind me that one negative does not equal an entire ruined day (sometimes I'm quite the drama queen). But he's right! One bad thing does not mean that the rest of your day can't be great.

I've been trying to remember that even if my day doesn't go how I want it to, it still goes how God has it planned. I have to take a deep breath and remember that I am exactly where God wants me to be, and there's a reason He has me where I am, doing what I'm doing. Instead of having a bad attitude about unpleasant things throughout my day, I am trying to have an open mind. I've been asking myself, "Why did I get upset over [insert whatever it was I got upset over]?" and "What can I learn from this?" I believe God can teach us great things through unpleasant times, if we allow our minds to be open to His teachings and hear what He has to say about it all.

If anyone else has been feeling discouraged recently, or just overwhelmed, stressed, or upset about things, remember that you are not alone, and that God is waiting for you to reach out to Him so He can comfort you and guide you.

I'm going to end with one of my favorite Bible verses: "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33


Xoxo,
n.