Worth Considering…A Thought for Today Learning to Think Positively “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.” –Proverbs 23:7a, 12 (NKJV). I like Irish blessings. Here is one a little-less known than the one that begins “May the road rise to meet you.” These gems of wisdom are anonymous, probably dating back a long way into the collections of Irish literature. Consider this one: “May there always be work for your hands to do; May your purse always hold a coin or two; May the sun always shine on your windowpane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend be always near you; May God fill your heart with gladness and cheer.” How important to our well-being and our sense of worth that we think positively. I have just read Proverbs 23. In that particular chapter of wisdom literature are a series of “Do not” instructions, warnings about pitfalls in life that can be sorely detrimental if we do not give attention to our life and conduct. The “do nots” are worth attention, and pertain to avoiding greed, gluttony, lack of discipline, and drunkenness. Within the context of the warnings against conduct to be avoided are two gems that invite us to positive thinking and right conduct: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7) and “Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge”(Proverbs 23:12). So much in our lives depends upon how we think, how we consider our ways, and the positive means we use to achieve goals. The Irish in their well-stated blessings, and certainly the wisdom writer of the Proverbs, had a handle on positive thinking. Poet Mary Oliver asks the question: “Listen. Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?” Self-examination on how we view our life, how we learn to think positively instead of negatively, and what purposes we hold and pursue can help us know that “a rainbow follows each rain” and that God stands ready to “fill our heart with gladness and cheer.” In the midst of the “thou shalt not” instructions of Proverbs 23, the writer inserts this strong hope in verse 18: “For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” How much more positive can we get than to have the assurance that God has prepared a place for us when this life is finished? Ethelene Dyer Jones 01.30.2014
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 12:00:53 +0000
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