Is There Anything Good?

     "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8

     I've always had a bit of a sarcastic streak in me. It helped me survive my educational years, elementary, middle school, high school. I was too puny to do much damage physically, except to myself, so my mouth was my weapon. as I get older, I see it still exists in me, but now threatens to turn me into a grumpy old man. The kind that sits in a chair on the porch, yelling at kids to get off my lawn, or complaining that everybody mumbles now, can't anybody speak plain English! Worse yet, I see the world today, with its violence, hate, and just pure evil, and I want to just give up on the world, go find a beach somewhere, and wait for Jesus to just pick me up on His way by. (Come to think of it...I DO think about the beach a lot! My happy place...)

     So, where was I...oh, yeah. So what's a guy to do? As in most cases, the opposite of what the world does. Don't act like I can't see the bad, that would be ignorance and a lie. Do focus on the good...true, honorable, pure, lovely, commendable, excellence, anything worthy of praise. Spend more energy finding good than evil. The process is more rewarding, and less ulcer inducing. Even to a grumpy old man like myself.

     Is it easy? It is not. It takes work, and focus, and failure, and trying over and over again. In Philippians 4:9, Paul goes on to say "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you" See the word "practice"? (I hope so-it's in bold print! Oops, there I go again!) Practice means a continuing effort.

     I don't claim to do this well, or sometimes, even at all, but thank God that He is there to remind me. I would much rather try, with God's help, to look at the world and others on their "good sides", than to live and participate in the same hate I see all around. This is something special. This is looking through God's eyes, and only He can lift away that veil of hate so that we can see. Because only His eyes see truth, good and evil. But He turns His eyes away from lies, and toward love of His children. All of them.

     Look to Jesus, who sees us through love, then find that love in others - and think on THESE things. And when it seems too hard to see, remember "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33