sermonette: Count It All Joy
Developing a Positive Outlook
Bill Onisick
Given 25-Mar-06; Sermon #765s; 15 minutes
Description: (hide)
Bill Onisick, focusing upon the admonition in James 1:2 to count it all joy when we fall into trials, reminds us that what we think about is entirely our choice. What we believe drives our behavior. We can develop a positive attitude if we carefully guard and keep our hearts with all diligence. Unfortunately, the negative attitude is the natural default of our not diligently guarding our minds from the ever-present negative pessimistic influences emanating from Satan, the world around, and the downward pulls of our own flesh. Even though the apostle Paul experienced fiery trials and persecutions, he kept his mind focused on the inevitable outcome of God’s ultimate intervention, maintaining an upbeat positive outlook to the end of his life, meditating on the exceedingly infinite glory of God’s eternal Kingdom, cutting his temporary trials down to size. In this pre-Passover season, we cannot prevent the seeming acceleration or crescendo of our trials, but we can take back control of our hearts or minds, adjusting our attitudes toward these temporary circumstances, flooding our minds with pure wholesome thoughts, including our many blessings and especially the exceedingly infinite eternal glory of God’s Kingdom.
Topics: (show)
Attitude toward afflictions Blessings Carnality Cynic Default Eka eo Glass half empty Glass half full Joy Keep our heart Kata huperbole Negative attitude Optimism Optimist Pessimism Pessimist Positive attitude Trials Weariness
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