Positivity

Philippians 2:14-15 says, Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

Do you ever feel like your light has been burnt out? Sometimes I feel this way. I am trying to live how God wants me to, and it seems like I fail every time. Old habits come out and before you know it, I am thinking negative thoughts, feeling like I am a failure, and anxious that I am not going to get through it.
I think that this is because that the world is so negative and it is hard not to have those thoughts invade into your thinking. You see so much negativity on TV, you hear it on the radio and then it affects you when you work or at home with your family. Problems or issues in your life seem to take over and you feel like there is not an out. You start to complain about things and then it gets contagious and soon everyone around you is doing it.
I know I have caught myself complaining at home that the dirty dishes even make me mad at times!

Romans 12:1-2 says Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

This means to change the way you think.  BE INTENTIONAL with your thinking.  What a great reminder, at least for me, to be intentional.  It is easy to be in a bad mood, to frown or to get lost in your thoughts or to feel sorry for yourself. You have to intentionally think about how you are talking, feeling, or intentionally smile. 
What I have learned is attitudes are contagious, whether it is good or bad.  Smiling is contagious, you smile at someone and that just cheers them up.  I know it does that for me.

So I can choose to either be conformed by this world and let it bring me down and to follow in the negativity of it or be transformed by the renewing of my mind through Jesus.  Daily, I need to remind myself that I can do this, I can get up and be intentional to be a positive influence to someone.  If I fail, I need to look at what I can change, learn and start over the next day.
The question I need to ask myself daily is : Is my life today holy and pleasing to God?

Love to all,