An Upbeat Outlook

AN UPBEAT OUTLOOK

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” - Psalm 118:24

I must confess that I am not a morning person.  I've often accused my alarm clock of bearing false witness.  Waking up in the morning is more like a resurrection.  It takes a long time for me to get the cobwebs out of my brain. 

Since I am not a morning person, it would be easy to get up feeling grouchy.  I can identify with the cartoon I once saw of a person awakening from a long coma, saying, “Give me just 5 more minutes of sleep.”  A few years ago, I had some minor surgery.  My family got rather concerned because I didn't come out of recovery in a timely manner.  You guessed it.  I wanted the extra few minutes of sleep.

Because it is tough to wake up each morning, it is challenging for me to start the day with the right attitude.  Yet I need to begin with a positive outlook and embrace the blessing of a new day. 

Personally, I don't enjoy being around pessimists.  You know the people I am referring to.  These individuals can find a cloud for every silver lining.  They complain about thorns rather than enjoying the roses.  For them, the glass is always half empty, plus they want a better glass.  Since I don't enjoy the company of pessimists, it is important for me not to be a pessimist myself. 

If you're like me, it can be difficult to have an upbeat outlook each day.  As I get older, I have new aches and pains.  It is more challenging to accomplish basic tasks.  My hair is getting gray and thinner.  Yes, it is often tough to have an upbeat outlook.  Yet this is my daily goal.

It is hard to make a positive difference when you spread negativity along the way.  Most people gravitate to positive people.  In fact, God seems to use positive people to make a positive impact. 

So how can we embrace an upbeat outlook each day?

GRACE

First of all, we need to recognize that we are recipients of grace.  If we got what we deserved, we'd be in hell right now.  Each morning we wake up, we receive a new gift from God that we refer to as a new day.  We don't deserve this gift.  It is a love gift from the Lord.  We need to recognize each day as being a gift.  What we do with this gift is up to us.

 

GRATITUDE

Secondly, we need to count our blessings.  If you're like me, there's a lot of things I can't do as well as I did when I was younger.  Rather than focusing on this, I need to focus on the things I am still able to do.  To be rather honest, some of the things we complain about are the very things others are praying for.    When you get up on Monday morning and head back to work, be grateful for the job you have.  Many people would love to have your job.  Be grateful for the portion of health you have.  Some yearn for the degree of health you enjoy.  When there are little household problems that arise, remember that there are homeless people who would love to have the problems you complain about.  Gratitude has a way of improving our attitude. 

GLADNESS

In Psalm 51, David prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”  One reason some Christians seem sour is that they have lost their joy.  Sin has a way of robbing us of our joy.  Yet this joy can be restored with genuine repentance.  In Luke 10:20, Jesus told His disciples, “... rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”  There is joy in knowing that your sins are forgiven and you now belong to the Lord.  Furthermore, there is joy in our continued fellowship with Jesus.  Psalm 16:11 states, “... in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”  As we cultivate personal time with Jesus, our joy grows deeper and sweeter.

The Psalmist wrote, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  We can't relive yesterday.  Tomorrow may never come.  Yet we do have today.  Let's live it fully for God's glory. 

Even though there are difficult days here on the earth, there is a better day coming.  A day that will never end.  A day of gladness for all of God's people.  We'll spend eternity in the presence of our loving Lord.  There will be joy in heaven.  The future is looking brighter for us.  To paraphrase an old quote, if you look around, you'll be distressed.  If you look within, you'll get depressed.  If you look up, you'll be blessed. 

Look up.  The best is yet to come.