Positive Power

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peaceloving, considerate, submissive,full of mercy and good fruit,impartial and sincere. James 3:17


As my daily devotional, I'm reading "The Power of a Positive Woman" by Karol Ladd. It was a birthday gift from a good friend of mine. The first thing I said when I opened it was, "Oh, I so need this! I have such a hard time staying positive sometimes!" The two women in the room echoed in together with a resounding, "So do we. It's hard!" So it's not just me!

I can be negative, and it's usually when I'm being pushed beyond my reasonable limits. It's when everything seems to be going wrong. It's when I'm just about ready to throw in the towel and one more thing happens! I try to catch myself when I'm starting in on the negative thoughts, but sometimes I can be so stubborn and uncontrollable! I just let 'er rip! Let me tell you, it has never served me well. It has never solved my problem. It has never made me a better person! It just helps me wallow in it and become even more negative!

Do I really think this book is going to help me? Probably not and here's why. I can do nothing without God's help, and if I don't ask Him for help, it will never change no matter how many books I read. One of the things the book talked about was wisdom. It seems to me a wise woman wouldn't be negative, right? A wise woman knows what the Word of God says and does it!

So, one thing that stuck with me was James 3:17, which explains the qualities of wisdom from heaven vs. wisdom from man. When you are asking someone for input or advice, this is a great "checklist" to see if they are really giving you solid advice based on heavenly wisdom. So here it is:

Is it pure?
Peace-loving?
considerate?
submissive?
full of mercy and good fruit?
impartial?
sincere?

It made me realize how often I give advice that doesn't always cover these areas, and how following that Biblical outline can help me stick with more Godly advice. The result? A positive answer from a positive person! Positive results!

And I'll just have to leave it there before I say anything negative!