Very few things are as contagious as a smile and someone who is genuinely happy. When someone is laughing, it is really hard not to start laughing yourself, or at least crack a smile. Joy is contagious! As Christians, we should be the most joyful people in the world, not because everything is going right in our life, but because God is good and He is faithful and our eternity is secured in Him. I heard a pastor say this the other week, “what we celebrate is what we replicate.” People want to have joy in their life, especially in these times.
Life wasn’t perfect in Israel during Nehemiah’s time. They had encountered difficulties and difficult people. Yet, when the Temple and the wall of Jerusalem is finished, we see the people celebrate. Nehemiah 12:43 says, “Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.” Despite their difficulties, Israel rejoiced for God’s faithfulness and His goodness to them. The remedy for a sour attitude is to remember God’s goodness and faithfulness to you. We have to train our brain to look and remember our blessings. In our sin condition, it is natural for us to see the bad things in life. Most people, if nine out of ten things went well, they would remember the one that went bad longer. If we want to find dirt in a snowstorm, we can certainly find it. However, we can also see the faithfulness and goodness of God in every circumstance if we look for it. That is true even in difficult times, because as bad as things might be, they could be a lot worse. My mentor, Ken Butterworth, preached a sermon probably 15+ years ago. It was titled, “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude.” The apostle Paul reminds us to set our minds on the things above, and not on the things below. Next time you find yourself in a mental funk, take time to list all the blessings God has and is giving you, and see what it does for your attitude.
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin