June 23, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Think Positive

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe..."
Philippians 2:14-15

As Christians, we have the blessed opportunity of being a positive influence in other peoples lives. On the other hand, we also can have a negative effect. The choice is up to each of us.

In the days before self-operating elevators, there was a lady who was an elevator operator in a large university in Japan. She could think of no more monotonous work than operating an elevator all day long. She was miserable and grumbled every time someone spoke to her.

One day it occurred to her that she could influence young students to a brighter way of seeing life. But to do that she will have to change her own attitude towards life!

The next day she started with a smile on her face. It was extremely difficult for her, but by sheer will power she was determined to cheer up whoever rode in her elevator.

As the years went by, people sought her advice more and more. Many were helped by her bright attitude and her optimistic view of life. She became a "Solver of Problems!".

When she finally died, a few thousand people attended her funeral. She gained her fame because she changed her attitude about life and desired the bright side to life for her and for those with whom she came in contact.

Prayer: Ask God's Spirit to help you view things in a positive light, and to shine that light into the lives of others.

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way."
~Viktor Frankl, concentration camp survivor.