Outrage is easy. Positivity takes courage.

Outrage is easy.

Positivity takes courage.

Everything is a landmine right now. Stances on politics, black lives matter, Covid19 and so many other topics are explosive (and even more so online). It’s easy to offend and be offended at this point…cause we’re all low-key hurting and bummed for so many reasons.

The easiest response to offense is outrage. But have you noticed that outrage and anger NEVER take you where you want to go? (Nations don’t sign anger treaties // they sign peace treaties). One might argue that outrage has a purpose, but I think we’d agree that it’s not the best to reside in a state of outrage.

Our hearts are like gardens…they need constant tending. Like a garden, when we neglect our hearts and the emotions that take residence there, our hearts will wither and bend towards darkness. Without weeding and pruning, our hearts don’t bear fruit - they bear emotions and reactions that lead to strife, resentment and ultimately the death of relationships.

We have a choice in the matter of tending to our hearts and being aware of our emotions.

I think the Psalmist constantly said things like “God is Good” and “God is in control”

(Psalm 86 & Psalm 139 for examples), because he was tending to his garden. These things are obviously true - but he’s choosing to FOCUS on God’s goodness, to speak it out and to meditate upon it.

Positive people don't take the bait of outrage. Positivity doesn't grapple endlessly with the stranger in the comments section. Positive people push through the anger and focus on the Father more than the fight.

The beauty of the gospel is grace. For humans, giving grace isn’t natural - it’s SUPERnatural. Applying grace is the cultivated and transformative work of God through us. Grace is ridiculously positive and completely without outrage.

The encouragement for today (and everyday) is to choose positivity // not for positivity’s sake, but for the sake of tending the garden of our heart and being in the place to extend grace to those in our circle of influence, the ones we don’t know and especially the people we don’t feel like deserve it.