Day 5 of 50 Days of Prayer- Stop Being So Negative

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfies your mouth with good thing so your youth is renewed like the eagle's." -Psalm 103:1-5

If you want to feel really great about life and the world, watch the evening news (you should be picking up on the sarcasm right here): struggling economy, West Nile virus, a divided country, anti-American protests in the Middle East, government corruption, and (fill in the blank here).

I came downstairs a few nights ago after putting the boys to bed and Leslie had a sad, troubled and frustrated look on her face. I instantly began to wonder, "Uh-oh, what did I do?" She then explained her frustration to me, "I can't watch the news anymore. It's so negative." It's true. It's a sad commentary on our society, but we're almost like piranhas feeding on negativity.

As I read Psalm 103 this morning and worshiped the Lord through music by listening to Matt Redman's 10,000 Reasons (listen to the song here), I fell under conviction about my own tendency to be a negative News Anchor for my life. "This morning Robby Pollard went to purchase gas and gas prices have risen yet again. In an unexpected turn of events Robby's son, Luke, had to go to the doctor. The co-pay was $25 and the medication was over $100. This isn't fair. That isn't fair. Why didn't this work out like I thought it should."

Sometimes my outlook is very different than David's. I choose to complain, David blessed the Lord. I have a tendency to focus on the sickness, David blessed the Lord for healing. I am prone to wallow in guilt over my sin and past failures, David blessed the Lord for forgiveness. I can become so easily focused on the destruction around the world, David blessed the Lord for redemption.

Stop being so negative. I'm not saying that we shouldn't face reality. What I am saying is that we should spend more time blessing God and less time complaining. Instead of griping about the cost of gas, bless the Lord for your job, your car and for living in this country! Instead of complaining over a $25 deductible, bless the Lord for doctors. Instead of complaining about the cost of medicine, bless the Lord for the $100 He provided for you to have that medicine. Bless the Lord for your children. Bless the Lord for your health. Bless the Lord for life. Instead of crying about what's fair, bless the Lord for the cross where God, in the ultimate act of selfless love and grace, gave His life for you.

Try it today. When you feel the urge to be negative or complain, bless the Lord instead. Stop being so negative. Stop playing the part of the negative News Anchor of your life, and bless the Lord.