I am thankful to say this- sometime there are some positive, pleasant, encouraging human interest stories on the network and cable news broadcast – but only a few! Because in general, cynical worldviews and fear dominate our society. Even when we long to stay and speak positive in our personal lives, many of us discover how easily it is to get pulled in to gossip and negative chitchat. It seems as if we are bombarded with negativism on every side, and our focus is on “what is going wrong” not on “what is going right”. Negative thought patterns will breed infection into our spirit. Consequently, most of us do not recognize how entrapped we have become.  Yet God has given us guidelines that will lead us out of pessimism and toward an optimistic outlook. The Bible tells us to contemplate, ponder, consider, and meditate on whatever is positive and good; we become what we focus on! We all have some negative thought patterns in our lives, which will take time and determination for the Holy Spirit to help us work out, and replace with positive thought patterns. If we really understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we really understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative.  This is a spiritual law; our thoughts and words create. It is God’s will to transform our thoughts, words, and lives! With the Holy Spirit’s help, and God’s grace, we will be able to keep our eyes on Jesus, and focus on positive truth not the negative. So, whatever is genuine, commendable of respect, praiseworthy, decent, fair, wholesome, divine, endearing, compassionate, pleasant, cordial, distinctly good, or praiseworthy-fix your mind on such things.

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is aaything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]” (Philippians 4:8).