It All Depends on What Perspective You Take

We’ve all heard about the two types of people – the glass-half-full ones and the glass-half-empty types. The former are positive, optimistic folks who maintain total confidence that things will work out for the best, no matter how bad they might seem at the time. The latter fret that even when things are going well, some form of misfortune is lurking around the corner.

I did have one friend who defined a third category for himself. He used to say, “I’m a very positive person: I’m positive…things are going to get worse!”

 

There are times I’m inclined to agree with him. After hearing one Chicken Little after another shouting, “The sky is falling!” – news of carnage due to cars, guns, diseases, natural disasters or economic calamity – it’s tempting to conclude that “living on the edge” starts with the simple act of getting out of bed in the morning. We’ve long heard warnings that the world headed non-stop for the netherworld in the proverbial handbasket. We suspect maybe it’s really happening this time.  

 

At such moments it would be nice to have Bobby McFerrin pay a friendly visit, singing his lilting tune, “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” Before the gloom settles in too deeply, I come to my senses and determine it’s a better idea to start accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative (someone really ought to write a song about that). 

 

This doesn’t mean talking oneself into being a naïve Pollyanna. It’s about making a conscious effort to shift our mindset. Someone has observed that a bad attitude is like having a flat tire – you’re not going anywhere until you fix it.

 

President Abraham Lincoln understood this concept. He once said, “We can complain because roses have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” This was the perspective of a man who had more than his share of thorns to deal with, not least of which was his final evening on earth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865.

 

There are hundreds of other quotations we could cite for similar inspiration and encouragement, but I’ve found the very best are found in the Scriptures. There are many verses from which to choose, but one of my all-time favorite passages is Philippians 4:6-8.

 

This passage actually consists of two parts. The first two verses admonish, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

 

When we focus on the Lord, instead of the circumstances that are troubling us, and entrust our concerns to Him through prayer – and thankfulness, peace can reign in our hearts despite the chaos all around us.

 

The third verse exhorts, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” It follows that if we determine to make the Lord central to our thinking, we become freed from negative thoughts that everyday living can foster.

 

If we focus on what’s going on in practically any element of society, we can easily identify things that are untrue, far from noble, wrong and impure. God has given us a beautiful world to live in, but humankind has turned some of it ugly and despicable. Things of excellence and deserving of commendation – we’re to look for and concentrate on those.

 

This challenge is directed toward me probably more than anyone else who will read it. I need the great reminder from Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” The Lord is still causing all things to work for the good of those who love Him, as Romans 8:28 declares. That promise was true many centuries ago, and it remains true today. 

Even when things outwardly look darkest and seem most dismal, we need to cling to the assurance, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He hasn’t changed – we can be positive about that! 

The Desperate, Universal Search for Worry-Free Living

Can you believe it’s been more than 30 years since many of us found ourselves singing the catchy words, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”? It was 1988 when that lilting, uplifting tune by Bobby McFerrin perched atop the Billboard Hot 100 list for two weeks. 

"Hakuna Matata, anyone?"

Then, six years later, we were singing “Hakuna Matata,” the memorable little song from the original animated Disney film, “The Lion King.” Remember? “It means no worries, for the rest of your days. It’s our problem-free philosophy, Hakuna Matata!”

Perhaps just mentioning these simple, infectious musical ditties has caused them to again dance around your mind. To this day, when I offer an apology for an oversight – like running a bit late for an appointment or failing to send a promised email – I’ll hear the other person respond, “No worries.”

Ah, if it were only that simple: Don’t worry, be happy! No worries – Hakuna Matata! Because when worries set it, we want to shout, “That’s easy for you to say!” We do worry, don’t we? A lot. 

We worry that it might rain; we worry that it won’t. We worry about not having enough money; if we have enough money, we worry we’ll lose it. We worry about getting sick, losing our jobs, the car breaking down, or growing old. We worry about what people think of us; we worry if people don’t think about us. We even worry if we don’t have anything to worry about, certain something will emerge to worry about. We just don’t know what it is. And that worries us.

This is a universal human problem, and hardly a new one. Jesus Christ devoted considerable time talking about the futility of worry in His “sermon on the mount”: 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?... But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:25-34).

Another time, Jesus was explaining how worry can prevent responding positively to the Gospel’s life-changing message. In His “parable of the sower,” He described one such category of folks: “The one that received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). 

Can you imagine settling down somewhere, surrounded by thorns? This was the metaphor Jesus used. Whenever we allow worries to overwhelm us – and I admit, I’ve been guilty of this at times – we’re treading into thorny territory.

Recently I read about something called a “friendship bench.” It was introduced in Zimbabwe, a war-torn, economically depressed African nation where despair has been rampant. The idea was for people beset by hopelessness to visit a friendship bench where trained elderly women would listen to them. 

The concept spawned the Friendship Bench Project, dedicated to establishing places where troubled individuals can engage in “a warm conversation with someone who cares.” They can now be found in London, England, New York City, and other parts of the world.

It's definitely sounds like a good way to at least provide encouragement for people who find themselves at wit’s end in dealing with their life’s circumstances. But did you know God already has a “friendship bench” for us? In Hebrews 4:16 we’re admonished, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Through prayer, God waits eagerly to hear from us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned about our lives. We oversee our children so they don’t run out into busy streets. We create budgets for handling our finances wisely. We make sure our vehicles are properly maintained. But as Jesus said, needless worry can choke all the joy and peace out of our lives.

So the next time worry starts consuming our thinking, let’s boldly approach the Lord’s throne of grace, His “friendship bench”: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

The Power of Positive Doing

In the early 1950s, Norman Vincent Peale authored The Power of Positive Thinking, which captured the imagination of millions of readers. In the book he made observations such as, “Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate,” “The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism,” and “Change your thoughts and you change your world.”

Following his teachings came a wave of motivational messages, declarations like, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” A slew of men and women perched on the Peale pedestal seeking to inspire and challenge aspiring achievers to think higher and dream bigger.

This bee at Busch Gardens in Florida wasn't just thinking
about making honey - it was doing something about it.

Even today the impact of the late Dr. Peale’s thoughts continues to reverberate, his legacy being carried on by many others, ranging from the smiley-faced aphorisms of Joel Osteen and other feel-good tele-preachers, to the fun, “don’t worry, be happy” type tunes sung by vocalists like Bobby McFerrin and Pharrell Williams.

I’m not a positive thinking naysayer. There’s great value in taking a positive, optimistic approach to life. I’ve always preferred to start the day with a hearty, “Good morning, Lord!” than a discouraging, “Good Lord…morning!” And I can remember many times when doubts started creeping in, I was able to cast them aside with a determined, “I can do this!” – and I did.

Maybe that’s why the old Nike slogan, “Just Do It,” connected with so many people. It suggests the power of positive thought, but goes beyond that. Basically it says, “Don’t just think about something – do something about it.”

For instance, do you want a better job? Don’t squander your time wishing and hoping. Figure out what you need to do to become a more valued worker, how to improve or expand your skills. Discover where your talents are, what you like to do, and take the initiative to find somewhere you can put those abilities to good use.

Do you want a better marriage? Don’t just wish it were better – or even pray that it would be better. Figure out what needs to happen to make it better, how you can become a better partner to your spouse, and if necessary, where to find help in making necessary changes.

Positive thinking definitely trumps negative self-talk, but it only goes so far. The time comes when we need to stop thinking and talking and to start doing. I appreciate what the Bible has to say about this. To follow Jesus isn’t just pondering the so-called “sweet by and by.” In fact, He said not to dwell on the future, but to focus on the present. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

The apostle Paul told members of the early Church that faith in Christ was not an intellectual exercise, but belief and commitment translated into action. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). Sounds to me like he was preaching the power of positive doing.

Apparently the apostle James observed among those professing to believe in Jesus a similar tendency, to spend more time contemplating spiritual things than implementing those truths in their daily lives. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” (James 1:22-24). Seems silly, doesn’t it?

Hammering home his point, James added this admonition: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes, and daily food. If one of you says to him, ’Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:14-18).

The Bible clearly teaches we can’t work to earn God’s favor. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). But if our professed faith lacks outward expression – through our actions and behavior – chances are good what we believe might be nothing more than positive thinking.

Through the Spirit of Christ, we can enjoy the power of positive doing.

Happy, Happy, Happy

A Facebook friend, in response to one of my comments, recently observed how we feel about things and life in general, like being happy or sad, is largely a matter of choice. There’s a lot of validity to that. I recall years ago someone wrote a book called Happiness is a Choice. I never read it, so apparently I chose to be happy without it.

In many instances we can actively choose our attitudes. Urban Meyer, head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team (it’s my blog, so I can mention them if I want!) has been using a formula with his players supporting this concept: E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome).

That idea finds affirmation in many quarters. We all remember the lilting Bobby McFerrin tune, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” I’ve not become an avid fan of the TV reality series “Duck Dynasty,” but noticed Phil Robertson, the original Duck commander (head quack pot?) has written an autobiography called Happy, Happy, Happy. Better than sad, sad, sad for sure.

"Happy" can come and go in
an instant. "Joy" stays forever.

Being essentially a glass-half-full kind of person, finding the happier side of things might be easier for me than for some others. But I only agree with the notion that we can choose to be happy to a degree. Since our state of “happy” is strongly influenced by happenings around us, remaining happy about everything would require some level of lunacy or cluelessness.

Suppose you’ve had an enjoyable time at the mall, bought a few nice things you needed – or wanted – and you’re feeling happy. Then you notice the fender on your car, smashed, taillight in smithereens on the pavement. You search for a note from the offending motorist, but there’s none. It was hit-and-run, and now you’re calling your insurance agent, unsure about the extent of your uninsured motorist coverage. How happy are you now?

Or you’ve been having a bothersome pain, so you go to your physician, who orders a couple of tests and some blood work. “It’s probably nothing to be concerned about,” she assures you in her best effort to avoid admitting, “I don’t have a clue what’s wrong with you.” A day or two later you receive a phone call and learn the “probably nothing” is definitely something, and it needs to be treated immediately. How happy are you now?

Or you report for work, as you have the past dozen years or so, ready to tackle another day of challenges. Your boss calls and asks you to come by his office. As compassionately as possible, he informs you the company is being forced to make some regrettable cuts – and sorry, you’re a “cut-ee.” How happy are you now?

There’s even a misconception that if you’re a follower of Christ you’re supposed to be continually happy. After all, doesn’t the old hymn say, “and now I am happy all the day”? But in reality, the state of being or feeling happy is neither requirement nor expectation for following Jesus.

Checking with my trusty concordance, the word “happy” appears less than 30 times in the entire Bible. However, there are more than 200 variations of the word “joy” in the Bible. In reality, happy is to joy what a housecat is to a tiger. Totally different animal.

Yes, there are many times when happiness and joy intersect. But joy can exist – even endure – when happy goes away. That’s the promise Jesus made to all who follow Him.

He said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11).

One thing Jesus never promised His followers was they would always be happy or without problems. In fact, He assured just the opposite. “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). In place of “take heart,” other translations use the words “be courageous” or “be of good cheer.” In other words, we can rejoice even when we find nothing to feel happy about.

Gazing at the world around us, some of us may be delighted by what we see, others may feel distressed. You might have just experienced one of the happiest moments of your life, or you may be enduring a great personal loss or tragedy. Regardless of the circumstances, even when we feel overwhelmed, incapable of choosing to be happy, we can experience the joy only Jesus can give. 

Gnashing of Teeth – and Other Pastimes

I’ve been worrying about this blog post. Feeling anxious, fretting about how it will be received. Fearful, agonizing, wringing my hands. I’ve written about this before, but it’s worth contemplating again. It’s…worry.

More than baseball, worry seems to have assumed national pastime status. If there’s anything we can worry about, we will. We even worry when we have nothing to worry about – surely there’s something we should worry about, which worries us.

Take the stock market, our revered economic “indicator.” Many times it rises and falls according to what “might” or “could” happen, based on the latest positive or negative developments. The market’s huge pendulum swings are propelled by fear, worry about the future.

The weather worries us. Experts predict hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, heat waves, or other kinds of severe weather…and we worry. What if this? Or, what if that? Is it because of climate change? If so, let’s worry about what can be done about it.

Alfred E. Neuman of MAD magazine
used to say, "What - me worry?" But
most of us haven't followed his lead.

If such things aren’t sufficient for keeping you happily worried, you can worry about loved ones – or your family as a unit. Or your career, finances, health problems, whether your car will start in the morning. If you’re a big sports fan, you can worry about whether State U will lose that key recruit to the archrival, or whether your team can outbid other teams for the latest superstar’s services.

People on every side of the political spectrum worry about our nation’s direction. What’s the destiny of our society, the “land of the free”?

Recently, TV adapted Stephen King’s sprawling novel, Under the Dome, for a 13-week summer run. What if, as in the story, a giant, impermeable dome fell on your community? No one could get out – and no one could get in. Now that’s something to worry about! It could occur, you know. Stuff happens.

Some people worry about being in an airplane crash. I always liked a friend’s philosophical take on that. He would say, “If you’re destined to die in a plane crash, and don’t get on a plane, then one will fall on your house.”

As a society, we love to worry. We complain, moan, groan, toss and turn in our beds. One thing we don’t often see, but seems like it would be fun to watch, is gnashing of teeth. Maybe people in biblical times worried even more than us, because it talks a lot about teeth gnashing. For instance, it says, “The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away…” (Psalm 112:10).

Jesus also referred to this worrisome tendency. He said, “But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12).

One thing’s certain – if you’re gnashing your teeth, your anxiety level must be really high. “Gnash, gnash, gnash!” “Hey, could you keep the noise down?”

That’s why the Bible offers a “cure” for teeth gnashing: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Jesus gave His followers the right perspective. “Do not worry about your life…. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?... And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it…. But seek first his kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Luke 12:22-31).

Years ago, Alfred E. Neuman, fictitious mascot and cover boy of MAD magazine, offered the motto, “What – me worry?” And singer Bobby McFerrin’s lilting little Caribbean tune suggested, “Don’t worry, be happy.” But let’s face it – we live in an oftentimes scary, always unpredictable world. There’s so much to worry about.

That is, unless we believe God’s in control, as He promises: “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Rest in that and we can face each day with anticipation, rather than trepidation.

Pray. Ask. Have faith, trusting God for every one of your needs – and all your circumstances. Jesus is saying, “Enough of that worrying. I’ve got this!” And just think, in heaven there will be no worrying. No gnashing of teeth. 

Thoughts About Positive Thinking

For years I’ve had mixed feelings about positive thinking. Sorry to sound negative, but positive thinking can take you only so far. For instance, I might think positively about becoming an accomplished jockey, but at nearly 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds, I’m more than a tad beyond the size limit for that diminutive profession. At the same time, I might desire to be a center in the NBA, but that’s unlikely in the forest of 6-foot-10 and seven-foot giants.

"I think, therefore I am...what?"

“What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” That’s been the positive thinking mantra. Sometimes it’s right. A friend dreamed about becoming a successful salesman, and that’s what he did. But it took much more than just thinking. It required training, hard work, planning and perseverance, along with determination not to become disheartened by setbacks.

Early in my career as a newspaper editor, I conceived and believed about writing magazine articles – and also a book. I achieved these goals and more. But again, it required diligence, dedication, acquiring the necessary skills, and tenacity to try-try again, even when rejection letters arrived in the mailbox.

So positive thinking’s OK to a point, but it takes a lot more than that.

At the same time, negative thinking can destroy your day before it even gets started. So thinking positively definitely trumps thinking negatively. It’s even recommended for good health. Studies have shown that long-term pessimistic thinking can triple the likelihood of a serious “heart event” or other life-threatening health issues.

The late Zig Ziglar, one of the world’s foremost motivational speakers and writers, talked about people sometimes commenting, ”Zig, I loved your talk, but for me, motivation doesn’t last.” Ziglar always responded, “Bathing doesn’t last either. That’s why I recommend it daily.”

So, is it a matter of thinking happy thoughts, or as the Bobby McFerrin song of decades past suggested, “Don’t worry, be happy”? I’ve found positive thinking works best when it’s based not on wishful thinking, but rather on reality – and reliable promises.

For instance, addressing followers of Jesus in the ancient city of Philippi, the apostle Paul wrote, “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

In an age when we’re bombarded by negativity – bad news, reports of gloom and doom, harsh conversations and people just waiting for an excuse to spew their anger – it helps, stating it another way, to accentuate the positive.

As Zig Ziglar advised, I’ve found it useful to make it a habit of meditating on positive, motivational thoughts on a daily basis. And I can’t imagine a greater thought than the promise Jesus left His followers, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

To parrot one of my favorite speakers, “Think about that.”