The Never Ending Gifts

I’ve never put much credence in the “power of positive thinking” philosophy. I don’t believe that if I think positive thoughts, then good things will happen. But lately I’ve been thinking a positive thought that is making a significant difference in my mood and outlook.

It’s not that I’m a pessimist. I never wake up in the morning thinking something bad is going to happen. But I’m not much of an optimist either. When good possibilities arise I tend to cross my arms and say, “We’ll see if that actually happens.”

But there’s a big difference between trusting events to turn out well, and trusting God to work them to good. Sometimes our efforts do result in storybook endings, and sometimes they don’t. But the Bible says I can “know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28, emphasis added). Do I believe this? Yes, I do.

So, to heighten my awareness of this truth, I’ve been starting each day with the thought God is doing good things today. I’m not trying to will good things to happen; I’m acknowledging what God is already doing. In the past I would wake up thinking, “What am I doing today?” Now I also ask, “What is God doing today?”

The fact that God will be making good things happen lifts my mood. Suddenly, there’s something new to look forward to—a treasure to find, a gift to open. It resets my emotions and sends them in a new, positive direction that sets the tone for the rest of my day.

To be honest, I’ve been surprised at what a tremendous impact this simple phrase has made on my emotions. If you’d like to join me in this easy exercise by saying each day, “God is doing good things today,” I’d love to hear how it affects you, too.