I read of an old man of eighty-seven who was killed in an accident. The autopsy revealed that he had been suffering from several diseases, any one of which could have killed him many years previously. His widow was asked the secret of his long life. She replied simply: ‘I don’t really know; except that, every night before he went to sleep, he said, “I’ll be better tomorrow”. That man displayed a positive attitude to life. A lady here in my home state of Tasmania who died earlier this year at the age of 94 left a substantial portion of her estate to a local charity. She had suffered from a debilitating disease and dementia for many years yet always made light of her difficulties. Her favourite remark was “maybe I’ll improve with age.”

These two examples point to the fact that positive thinking can have a marked effect on our lives. Of all the Apostles, Paul experienced hardships that would have deterred a lesser man. Yet in his witness to others and in his own life he displayed a positive attitude. He urged the church at Corinth not to receive God’s grace in vain for this was the time of God’s favour and of salvation. His letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon, all written in captivity, are examples of profound and positive teaching at a time of great personal adversity. David went through a difficult period when King Saul, jealous of David’s popularity, made several attempts to kill him. Yet David remained positive and refused to harm the king, relying on God to save him from all his enemies. Psalm 18 is David’s wonderful song of praise and thanksgiving that concludes in verse 50 with one of the most positive statements in the Bible.

Many books have been written about the power of positive thinking, yet it is only the examples of those around us who, regardless of their own difficult situations, can show us that much is to be gained by our attitude to life and to others. As we witness the circumstances of those near to us it becomes evident that there is no halfway position – you are either a positive or negative person.

So how can we change from being a negative person to being positive? We must seek to be influenced by Christlike models. No matter how you were raised or who has influenced your life, you can move beyond those limitations by taking Christ as your example and consciously trying to live as he did. Today, more than ever, we need to be careful about the input we allow to form our beliefs. With TV, music, movies, and the rest of the media often presenting sinful life-styles, an emphasis on all that is bad and unwholesome values, we find ourselves constantly bombarded by attitudes and beliefs that are totally opposed to the Bible. Be careful about what you allow to form your opinions. The Bible is the only standard of truth. Evaluate all other opinions in light of its teachings. And the Bible contains the two great truths that must guide our attitude to life: that whoever believes in God shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16), and that through repentance our past sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38,39)

Pastor Ron w4w@keypoint.com.au