Top 5 Suggestions for Saying Up in a Down World

With all of the negativity surrounding us on social media and the news it seems we are in desperate need of something positive.   I, like many of you I would imagine, have considered closing down my Facebook account in an effort to stay away from the constant bickering and fighting that seems to permeate the site.   Each time I think about doing this, another thought comes to my mind and that is, "how am I using Facebook to glorify God?"

Here are a few suggestions on how you can move through life with a positive outlook, beginning with the issue on Facebook:


5) Facebook: This is difficult for many people, myself included, because with the creation of sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter....heck, even Blogger, society has bought into the idea that every voice should be heard.  That's a little silly and yet here I am posting on my blog thinking that "my voice should be heard." The beauty of my blog is that if you want to read my opinions, you are free to do so, but if you don't, you don't have to.  Many would argue that the same goes for Facebook and while that would be a good argument, Facebook allows for an immediate soapbox in response to someone's opinion or post, whereas my blog doesn't provide such a quick and direct response.  Simply put, we don't "have" to respond to everything that makes us mad or offends us and we surely don't need to fill Facebook with such negativity.  A great way to stay up in this down world is use Facebook for good, positive and encouraging posts and un-follow the negative stuff.

4) Read God's Word Daily: It may sound like legalism, but it really isn't. It's filling yourself with the good news and blessings that God has in store. How to read and when to read may become legalistic and there are a lot of suggestions out there as to how this "should" be done. As for me, I do it as the Lord leads me.  That may not be as easily discernible for some, but the key here is that the more good news you fill yourself with, the less "down" you will find yourself.  Whenever I am feeling down, those closest to me will ask, "when did you last read God's Word?"  What a wake up call that can be!

3) Pray Unceasingly: There is a reason 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing and I believe that the more we pray, the better we will feel.  There are a lot of other reasons to pray, don't get me wrong, but in this post it is important to focus on staying positive. Praying about what God has done, giving thanks and focusing on his goodness can really be great medicine for the mully grubs.

2) Do Unto Others: I don't know about you, but whenever I do something nice for someone else it really lifts me up. It feels good to help others and see their reaction when they realize someone has done something for them. Wouldn't the day be a little different if each day we were looking for someone to bless?  Be creative and think outside the box! If you go out of your way to bless someone else, that's 365 people in a year that you have touched in a special way!

1) Share the Gospel: This may sound like "preacher stuff," but I am always uplifted when I spend time telling someone about how amazing God has been to me, my family, our church and our friends. There is something special about sharing God's love and the stories of His blessings with others.  Sometimes it may be other Christians and then again sometimes it is with people that don't know Jesus.  The key is share the good news as much as you can with anyone and everyone. As the good news leaves your lips and hits your ears, it has a powerful way of reminding you of His love for you and that can lift up anyone's day.


I hope you have a great week!  What are some ways you encourage others and yourself this week?

And now.....Off to the lake!

Chester