Change: Your Outlook

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Think positive thoughts. It's a popular slogan that we throw around.
But, do we really believe it? Do we really embrace the gravity of the situation?
I mean, it's really hard to think positive thoughts about bad things.
But, think about Sara.This girl has hit the blogger world by storm.
She chose joy in the midst of chronic illness. She chose joy in the midst of death.
I think she's the perfect example of what I mean by changing your outlook.
It's not about "being happy all the time". It's not about always smiling and laughing.
Sometimes life gets hard.
But, changing our outlook means choosing joy in the hard times.
It means trusting that God will work it all out.
It's about finding that little glimmer of hope- that glimpse of light- and embracing it.
It's about holding on with all we've got.
It's about "trusting in the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." (Proverbs 3:5)

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So, how do we do this?

Here's my ideas of how I'm going to "choose joy".

1. Make a list of the positive parts of the situation I am in. Even when things get hard, rather than focusing on the negative parts of the situation, look for the positives.
2. Find the light. Similarly, look to God in the situation. Where is he working? Sometimes, we get stronger in these hard times.
3. Surround yourself with Scripture. Yes, friends are good. But, sometimes they aren't the wisest. Look at Job. His friends didn't offer any good support and blamed him for the position he was in. So, while surrounding ourselves with friends and family is good, make sure to not forget the Word. There are so many passages in that great, big book that offer guidance for almost any situation. Anxious? Turn to Him. Sad? Turn to Him. In whatever season you're in, stay immersed in the Word.