It can be difficult to have a good attitude when things just aren’t going according to our plans. That’s why how to watch your words and thoughts is so important!
We want things our own way. We think we have things all figured out and if everyone got on the same plan (our plan), life would be so much better.
But life never goes according to our plans, because we have nearly eight billion other individuals with their own ideas of how things should be. Some of their plans are as legitimate as ours. Some of them are evil (and yes, you’ll have disagreements about what is and isn’t evil). Some may have nice, if not naïve plans. And yes, some have plans to survive what we may find unimaginable.
Once in a while, I like to sketch out a sermon or a bible passage. I liked how this Psalm 145 sketch turned out and posted it in 2006.
I like this passage because it is full of joy. After all, it is a song of praise. And it speaks about teaching good news from one generation to the next. That is a theme that has resonated with me over the years. It is why I still love to work in children’s ministry.
Being quiet has its advantages. When we slow down and listen to others, we can be perceived as knowledgeable without saying a word. This concept and a proverb led to this wisdom and talking cartoon.
There are several Bible verses that speak about this. But for me, James 1:19 has helped me greatly over the years. If only it was easy to apply to everyday living! Social and traditional media encourages us to spout off whatever comes to mind. After all, a blog with no content isn’t very compelling, is it?
Circumstances we weren’t expecting will happen. There are things we can’t plan for such as natural disasters, disease, and the unwelcome actions of others. Yet, generally, we are better off when we search for good things. This proverb answers the question, “Why is it better to search for good?”
“If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!”
We really do find what we search for. Jesus said it well in Matthew 7:7. We will find what we search for. That can be troubling when we seem to find only bad news these days.
In fact, it is much more challenging for us today to find good. Mass media and social media aren’t helping us. It seems while we are starting to wind down a pandemic, war and inflation have given us more to worry about.
Unfortunately, we don’t have to search much to find bad news. But that makes it that much more important to search diligently for the good.
This isn’t a call to pretend everything is awesome when it isn’t. We live in a broken world that needs fixing. Broken people need help that we can’t, nor should we ignore. We aren’t compassionate if we pretend everything is great when there are so many needs.
However, we won’t find any solutions if we are focused on how bad things are. We can bring hope to others. In addition, we can help those who need a hand when we know we can be part of the solution.
There is hope and a solution when we search for it. That is why it is so important to search for the good in the world. If it just isn’t out there, perhaps we can make some good happen.
Today, I get to teach kids about cooperation. It’s a skill that seems antithetical to American culture and politics. But as the good word says, “Two are better than one.”
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”
Mavericks are limited in their effectiveness. I hope to teach kids today that they are better together than alone. And I will need some all-star teachers and helpers to do just that. We really are better together!
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