Life has a way of draining us. If we’re not proactive,
negative thoughts dictate our lives. When we actively seek to remember the
good, the positive experiences of life will override the negatives.
Brain science tells us that our negative experiences
occupy more of our brain space than our positive ones. Knowing this, we have to
make a conscious effort to remember the good things and
start vocalizing them. When we speak our positive experiences out loud, we
reinforce our brain to keep positive memories in the forefront of our minds.
This is extremely important because our lives follow our thoughts.
I heard of a young couple who was having trouble in their
relationship. The counselor asked them to write down their negatives of each other.
The wife was very excited for an opportunity to share her frustrations. She
made a long list of complaints about her husband. On the day of disclosure, the
wife went through her long list of grievances about her husband. She felt good
to let her husband know. When it came time for her husband to share, she was
blown away by his one line statement. It said “I love and like you just the way you are!” Truth is, human beings
have more in common than we tend to realize. None of us have it 100%. Let’s
focus on the 80% that’s good and overlook the 20% that’s not so good. Let’s
magnify what’s good in each other.
When we remember the good, we attract more of God’s
blessings in our lives. This is what the children of Israel did. Every time God
did a miracle for them, they established a memorial
stone unto God. They were nomadic back then. Every time they passed that
way again, they were reminded of God’s mighty miracles in their lives. They
understood the principle that if they were not proactive about remembering the
good, life’s negatives would override their perceptions automatically.
Many people have a difficult time remembering the good
that was once a miracle in their lives. Let me help you remember how God
brought that beautiful women into your life. Remember when your children were
born. Let us remember how God gave you that dream job. Do you remember the day
you walked into your first home? Do you remember how God healed you of that
dreaded disease? Remember the day you got saved. Friend, let us remember God’s
mighty works in our lives!
Getting started on remembering
the good is the hardest part. Once you shift your mindset, it’s not so hard to
produce a long list of things to be grateful about. In my daily prayer walks, I
regularly remind God of the 20-30 major things He has done in my life. I start
with the day I was born. I remind God how He gave me an upbringing at the
orphanage. I remind God of the day I graduated from high school and college.
You may think these are ordinary things but for most of us, what is ordinary
today was once a miracle. Let us not forget and take time to remind God of His
mighty deeds. While you’re remembering the good, don’t forget to express your
gratitude to your loved ones, co-workers, clients, neighbors, and others who
have enriched your life. When we magnify the good, our differences will
minimize automatically.
When we remember God’s mighty works in the past, we fuel
our faith to believe God for the current impossible in our lives. Before young
David defeated Goliath, he first recalled and verbally recited all the previous
victories. He remembered how God empowered him to kill a lion and a bear. In
the book of Psalms, he reminded God how He brought water out of a rock and how
He parted the red seas. Is it any wonder that David’s life was highlighted by
God’s favor!
If you’re facing a difficult situation in your life
today, be like David. Remind God of the things He has already done for you.
Don’t focus on how big your problem is, focus on how big your God is. If God helped
you once, He will do it again. Don’t nag. Instead, brag about what He has done
in the past. It’s not so much our circumstances but our attitude in how we
respond to them that will change our situation. Today in America, we remember
God’s goodness in our lives. Let us not just stop there; give thanks to God as
a lifestyle. When we do, we’ll see more of His goodness and favor unleashed
upon our lives. I love you and thank God for you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits…”
(Psalm 103:2 ESV).
