Here’s the thing about positivity…it’s really just joy showing itself on the outside of a person. So often we attach our happiness to our circumstances, our surroundings and our possessions. Things are going well, things are going our way, things are going as planned…and we are happy right! But then what happens when everything changes…when the bubble bursts, when it’s all different one day.
The scripture verse(s) we talk about today include: Proverbs 17:22 & Proverbs 11:27
Please considering following along on my socials for further inspiration:
www.facebook.com/faithyourday
www.instagram.com/faithyourday
@faithyourday #faithyourday
As well if you'd like to connect with me just to say hi, or for a prayer request, reach out by email anytime! prettyiskind@gmail.com
If you are a Spotify music listener you can download my feel good & uplifting playlist by searching "Faith Your Day" and selecting "playlist"
If you find this episode resonated with you please go ahead and share it out with others! Many apps allow you to share directly from the podcast app you are listening on or simply tell a friend about it! Let's help women around the world Faith their Day! As well I would be more than grateful if you would leave me a review and/or rating on whatever platform you listen, it helps out so much by allowing others to find this show more easily.
I upload a new episode each Tuesday morning at 5:00EST. Can't wait to see you right here again next Tuesday!
xoxox
Sarah Elizabeth
Our Faith Your Day Declaration!
Jesus, thank you so much for loving me in the way that you do! You designed me on purpose for a purpose. I want to live to my full potential today, with a mindset that honors you and a soul that seeks to know you better. Jesus I know that you are the way, the truth and the life, and I ask you to guide me and reveal to me what it is that you want to show me here, have me experience here, and learn from this season. Help mold me and shape me into the best version of me. I will live today as your vessel ready to receive your word, respond to your promptings, and pour out your overflowing love to those all around me. Please allow your thoughts to become my thoughts, your ways to become my ways and your will to become what I truly desire. Jesus if you are in it I want it and if you are not I don’t! I choose to faith this day of life! I am so grateful to be your girl! In Jesus name Amen!
Full disclosure, I sat down yesterday and began writing what I thought was going to be this week’s episode. I got part of the way through it and set it aside to come back to today…and then well God just completely rerouted where we were going to go this week, and I’m so grateful he did…I am certain that this episode is just for you…it’s one that is going to help bring you into December with a different mindset, and follow you into 2024 as well. As I briefly mentioned at the end of last episode there have been a lot of changes for me at work as of late. I am an elementary school teacher and I have been in the role of Resource Teacher for almost 9 years now. It’s a role I very much enjoy, but just over a week ago I was informed that I would be taking over as the grade 6 teacher until the current teacher returned from a leave of absence. My friends, I did not see that coming! I have an amazing colleague who has buddied up with me to help support the grade 6 room in the coming weeks, and we are on a mission to create some consistency and routine for these kiddos who have had supply teacher after supply teacher for the last little while. I have to admit that one of the most common responses I receive when co-workers, parents and friends find out about this change for me, and mindset about it is to comment on how positive I am about it. It got me thinking about positivity as a super power and I’m going to be sharing with you today about why I want it to become your super power too!
Here’s the truth, my positivity is a byproduct of my faith. I have always been a glass half full kinda gal, but over the past few years of truly surrendering my life to Jesus and to his plan for me, I realize that positivity is no longer something I have to work at in the same way that I did before. I realize that because I fully trust in the direction that Christ is leading me…even if it feels like I’m being led into the flames at times. When that happens I’ve come to understand that it’s because on the other side there is going to be something he reveals to me that makes the struggle totally worth it! That might sound super naïve to someone who may not be at this same point in their faith journey, but trust me when I tell you it’s somewhere you can get to as well. Here’s the thing about positivity…it’s really just joy showing itself on the outside of a person. So often we attach our happiness to our circumstances, our surroundings and our possessions. Things are going well, things are going our way, things are going as planned…and we are happy right! But then what happens when everything changes…when the bubble bursts, when it’s all different one day. This is where we see people who are often very pleasant become angry, bitter, and resentful. You may have seen this in your workplace, family or peer group. Your happy go lucky co-worker is coasting along with everything, turning up daisies until that day when they are informed that they will be in a new role, or at a new location, or with new hours, or with a change in duties…boom! All of a sudden it’s like they have become a different person. Critical, spiteful, miserable. Or a friend who always had the biggest smile about their new relationship and then when it came to a sudden end, they look permanently depressed, scowling and swearing they will never again get involved with anyone. How can that be? Well if this sounds familiar it’s because they’ve attached their happiness to their current reality. One change in that reality though and the happiness crumbles like a house of cards. This is where the real key is to focus on joy. Why joy? And how is joy different from happiness? Because while happiness typically depends on circumstances, joy is dependent on Christ. When you give your heart to Christ, and with your heart you give all of your trust as well…then you get yourself into the joy territory. The place where you realize that no matter what… you are still his, no matter what changes in your situation you are still loved, no matter what the struggle, he is walking with you…you are no longer joyful because you are in a place you enjoy, you are joyful, because your heart is truly full. This then radiates out as positivity regardless of the circumstances. It doesn’t mean we have to be blindly unaware of our circumstances or happy for the hardship…this surrendered faith simply allows us to have joy even in the hardship…because it’s in the hardship where we lean in to him most right? And my sister this is the mindset that can allow you to be positive in whatever season now and whatever seasons are to come…cause you know the seasons will eventually change? Let’s take a look at a couple of verses from Proverbs which give us a shot of wisdom to help with this mindset shift. Proverbs 17:22 says: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. And Proverbs 11:27 says If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!
In the first proverb we are told that a cheerful heart IS the good medicine…it’s not good medicine, good circumstance, good luck that brings about a cheerful heart…it’s the heart in right alignment, in right thinking, in the right place…that brings about cheerfulness…it’s that whole what you think about you bring about reality. You focus on the negative changes, the lack, the uncertainty, and guess what…that’s what your heart begins to feel…negative, lacking, uncertain. But when you focus on the fact that despite the challenge, the stress, the uncertainty, that you are walking with Jesus through it all…your heart begins to feel full, confident, and eager even while in a situation or season you’d rather not be in. Too often we wait until something changes to be happy again don’t we. We say that we will be happy when we have that thing, when we have the relationship, when we have the position at work, when we have the bank balance and on and on…but what if like in the second Proverb we read we search for the good…because that is when we find the favour. And the good can always be found by realizing that our Good Shepherd is leading us each and every day…through the good times and the bad. Why bother focusing on the negative? I guarantee if you look for what is wrong you will find it! But if you seek what is good, you will find something amazing…God’s hand over, under and all around your life. My dear if you want the super power of positivity today, it’s as simple as starting to look for God here and now. It’s as easy as asking him to be with you today, and asking him to lead you through all of this.
As always let’s use Jesus as our example, our case study if you will. Let’s think back to the night before Jesus died. Ok first let’s recognize that here is a man who knew that the very next day he would die a horribly painful and cruel death…let’s just try to wrap our minds around that can we…I think we can all agree that anything we are ever about to face pales in comparison to what Jesus suffered for us right? But yet despite what he knew he was going to go through, he kept his positivity and trust in his heavenly father didn’t he. The night before he died he could have spent the whole time complaining, saying hurtful things about the Roman’s who would nail him to the cross, saying hateful things about his own people who persecuted him, cursing Judas who betrayed him and insulting Peter who denied him…he would have had every right and reason to be negative wouldn’t he! So why wasn’t he? Do you recall how the night before he died he dined with his disciples, washed their feet, spent quality time with them, gave them his full attention, and savoured every precious moment. He was fully aware that short term pain that was to come, but he chose to focus on where this hardship would ultimately take him…back to being seated at the Right hand of the Father. I think we can learn a very key lesson from Jesus’s response to challenge. Jesus always kept his eye on his heavenly Father, always kept contact with him through prayer, and always trust in his will for him. I can’t help but wonder if that’s what he’s asking you to consider today. You’ve got something to go through today too don’t you? You’ve got a hardship with your name on it…a cross to bear as well…no? My sister, I think he’s asking you to keep your eyes fixed on the long game here…eternity…keep your eyes focused in faith…towards him…in constant communication with him…all day long, praying and praising…thank you Jesus that you are with me, thank you Jesus that you have brought me this far, thank you Jesus that you are leading me into the next season, that you have something to show me here, and help me learn here, that will bring me closer to who you designed me to be….thank you that I can trust you…even here, even now, and even in this mess. My friend…it’s in this place that you will begin to exchange temporary happiness for eternal joy…it’s here that you will realize negativity is only dragging you down and holding you back. It’s not serving you, it’s not in alignment with what Christ wants for you, and it’s blocking you from experiencing joy while here…start speaking positivity over your situation through gratitude and prayer…and start getting excited about what God will reveal to you on the other side of this mountain…you have the power to choose positivity right here right now…