| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity” Our Bible verse for today: “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (CSB) Our thought for today: “It’s Monday. Rejoice and be glad!” Welcome to Monday! Are you happy? Are you glad? Are you singing with the Psalmist, “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it”? Or, are you a Monday hater? Monday often gets a bad rap because for most people it’s the beginning of the work week, and many of them hate their jobs. I once had a retiree say to me, “Retirement consists of six Saturdays and a Sunday, but I still hate Monday.” He had spent his entire working life hating Mondays and now in retirement he couldn’t break the habit. I contend that men and women who are spiritually mature and who have developed godly character and integrity have learned to appreciate every day, every moment, and every breath of life as a gift from God – and they find reasons to rejoice in it. Being upbeat, positive, and enthusiastic about life is a trait shared by the spiritually mature. In my opinion being habitually negative (the glass-half-empty person), indicates a lack of spiritual growth. And not only does it make you miserable, but your negative attitude has a bad impact on the people who have to live with you, work with you, or encounter you in the world. Do you know Eeyore? Eeyore is the donkey from the Winnie the Poo stories. He is Donnie Downer. He is an expert at finding a negative to go with every positive. If you say it’s a beautiful day, he will tell you there’s a chance for rain. If you say life is good, he’ll tell you that something bad is bound to happen. People like Eeyore tend to be so focused on themselves and their perceived woes and problems that they miss many of the opportunities for joy in life – and they rain on everyone else’s parade in the process. My friends, don’t be Eeyore. God has filled each day with many reasons to rejoice and to be glad. And since rejoicing and being glad is an attitude based on a decision, you can therefore control it. The Psalmist proclaimed this to be so when he wrote “I will” rejoice and be glad in it. He had made up his mind to rejoice and be glad, and then he proceeded to do it. It was an attitude born out of a decision. Men and women of character and integrity tend to be positive and upbeat because it’s Biblical to view life that way. We’ll think more about this tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful Monday! God bless, Pastor Jim |
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