Dying to LiveSample

Opening Our Eyes to That Which is Praiseworthy We all have choices to make daily. Yes or no? Now or later? This or that? Exercise or not? Eat healthy or not? Whine or not? Obey or not? Can we blame others for the choices that we make? Blaming never worked in the Garden of Eden and it doesn’t work in life, either. We also choose our thoughts and our focus. Experience has taught me that my heart was not made for the weight of anxiety, depression, and fear. I know that I thrive with life, hope, and joy. Do we have any say-so in this process? Or are we simply a victim of our lives? Can we choose to be victors instead of victims? One of the biggest game-changers for my life has been my intentional decision to “focus on that which is praiseworthy.” When I married my husband, I focused on all that I loved about him and was delighted to say “YES”,  until death do us part. Then life happened. I found myself deeply frustrated with our relationship. How could this be? What changed? I wasn’t alert to the subtle and sneaky ways of the enemy. I found myself easily diverted and ended up focusing on the “lack” in my man. Why? My marriage was uplifting for so long and then it felt heavy and draining. Who could I blame? Of course, I wanted to blame him. My pastor reminded me that our lives will always move in the direction of our strongest thoughts and that we find what we are looking for. I was focusing on all the ways my husband wasn’t living up to who I thought he should be and all that he wasn’t doing! Even if it was true, it was killing our marriage. I began desperately looking for the things that I DID love about my husband—the reasons why I said “YES”, the reasons I choose him. I made a choice: to change what I was looking at . I was on a pursuit for “all that was praiseworthy” about him. It was a game-changer for our marriage. My husband hadn’t changed, but I had changed my focus which ultimately changed the environment in our home. As I spoke life-giving words from my new focus, life returned to my marriage. The strategic choice of obedience to “focus on the praiseworthy” applies to many other areas of life, as well. As I changed my focus at my job, things suddenly got better. As I changed my focus about my children, they became more lovable. I noticed a distinct trend. My obedience was rewarded. This became a solid reality in my life. Since I don’t thrive in heaviness, ugliness, lying, deceit, or destruction, I truly limit negative things in my life. I find that trash “in” leads to trash “out.” Die to the negative truths in your life and pursue a life of focusing on that which is praiseworthy. Ponder: How can you focus more on the blessings in your life, your people, and your circumstances? Consider asking the Lord to help blind you to the negative, draining appearances in your life. Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to that which is good, pure, and praiseworthy. Help me focus on Your daily blessings and not on those life-draining things that I cannot control. Help me choose to see Your fingerprint everywhere in my days.