64 Sermon Illustrations on Positive Thinking

Sermon in Philippians series. Positive mental attitude. Phil. 4:8-9

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AS YOU THINK, SO YOU ARE

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I. We are what we think.

A. Mental attitude is single most important factor in health.

B. The downward and upward spirals.

II. Eight qualities of positive thinking:

III. Thought control.

A. Think about such things.

B. No one can do it perfectly.

C. Everyone can discipline their mind. Romans 12:2

IV. What are your minimum standards?

A. Integrity even when it is costly.

B. Concern for virtue is not limited to Christians.

1) Society as a whole recognizes a drift.

2) God has given all of us a core of values.

V. Just do it.

A. Positive thinking should end in actions.

B. A result, not a basis.

C. Ask God to renew your mind, help your thought-life.

Spiritual maturity requires us to learn how to live with unfulfillment. This goes against the grain of our culture (cup is half-full syndrome). The cup is also half-empty. No one has the perfect marriage. "If only..." is a terrible phrase. We live in a state of brokenness.

Quotes are given of high achievers who felt like failures. Romans 8 speaks to the brokenness of human life. We will have victory, but right now we groan.

1. Suffering is used by God for our growth. We get bitter or better. Note

Paul's thorn in the flesh. Limitations of other famous people given.

God's grace is sufficient.

2. Suffering of the present generates hope. We hope in God. We need to

seek God with all our heart.

Jesse Jackson has carried this hopeful, take-control-of-your-future attitude to black youth, an attitude conveyed by this speech to the 1983 civil rights march on Washington:

“If my mind can conceive it

and my heart can believe it,

I know I can achieve it.”

"These are just speed bumps on the highway of life." - Andrew Wainrib, Los Angeles restaurant owner who lost a nightclub in the Rodney King verdict riots, who lost a Malibu home in the fires, and who lost a beachside cafe in the earthquake.

REJECT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

An antidote for anxiety is to REJECT NEGATIVE THINKING. In Philippians 4:8, Paul mentions some positive things upon which we should focus our thoughts. He says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

What the world calls positive thinking is what Christians call faith-thinking. If you fill your mind with negative, stinking thinking, you will continually be a victim of gnawing worry. If you always concentrate on negatives, you will be as frustrated as a termite in a yo-yo. Your emotions will go up and down constantly. However, if you will reject negative thinking and focus upon positive thoughts, you can have victory. In Proverbs 23:7 the Bible says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Our thoughts are important to our emotional health because we really do become what we think about the most. I recall hearing about a fourteen-year-old boy sitting in a Sunday school class as his teacher expressed this principle. The teacher said, “Boys, whatever you think about the most, you will become.” One of the teenage boys responded with a look of horror, saying, “You mean I’ll become a girl?”

Worry operates within the arena of your mind. Your mind is the battleground in the war between faith and worry. Worry is like a drip that slowly begins, one drop at a time. If it isn’t shut off, it gradually becomes a constant trickle, then a steady flow that can’t be stopped. The drip of worry causes a crack in your mind which may become a crevice, then a gully. It soon develops into a valley or even a grand canyon of fear. Thoughts of fear rush through your mind like white water rapids. If you don’t guard your mind, this torrent of worry will carry away logical thoughts of peace. It all starts with what you are thinking.

Have you noticed that when you are busy in some activity, worry seems to be crowded out? But when you are sitting alone or lying in bed at night, worry creeps in and begins its devious task. It is necessary for a Christian to take control of his mind and surrender it to the Lordship of Christ. “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV).

How well you control your thoughts will determine the proportion of worry in your mind. If you are experiencing trouble, you DON’T overcome it by NOT thinking about that problem. To put it another way, you overcome worry not by not thinking about the wrong thing. The thing you’re trying not to think about will fill your mind. For instance, if you have a problem with lust, and you are constantly saying to yourself, “Don’t think about lust; don’t think about lust, what will you think about? That’s right, you will usually think lustful thoughts.

Let me demonstrate this by asking you to participate in a brief experiment. In the next few moments I want you to try not to think about something. At this moment, don’t think about ice cream. Don’t think about vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top! Don’t think about ice cream! Chances are, unless you are pretty strong-willed, you had trouble not visualizing ice cream! That demonstrates that you don’t overcome something by trying not to think about it.

Instead, overcome negative thoughts by replacing them with positive thoughts. Our brain can only latch onto one image at a time. Let’s continue the experiment. In your mind’s eye, visualize Jesus Christ hanging on the cross. See Him there with nails in His hands and feet, a crown of thorns upon His head, and a spear in His side. See Him as people are ridiculing and scorning Him. Notice the love and compassion in His eyes. As you pictured this beautiful scene, chances are you were unable to think about much else except Jesus. Focusing on Jesus is the key to overcoming worry about your problems. As we run the race of life we are to be “looking into Jesus” (Hebrews 12:12).

Philippians 4:8 is actually a one-verse biography of Jesus Christ. Jesus is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Think about Him. When worry tries to captivate your mind, remember the words to this beautiful chorus,

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.

In the light of His glory and grace. –{4}

Many people are kept in bondage to manifold worries that really should have no power over them. Have you ever seen an elephant outside a circus tent? You often will see that huge animal restrained by a small chain around his leg, attached to a wooden stake. It is obvious that the elephant could simply lift his foot and pull the stake out of the ground. However, he is not tied down by that stake; he’s tied down by his mind.

When the circus elephant was young, he was heavily chained to a stake driven deep into the ground. The young elephant tried to pull free, but couldn’t, and he remembers the pain of those attempts. Over a period of time he becomes conditioned to the belief that he can’t escape. As a result, a small wooden stake is all it takes to keep him in place. The stake doesn’t hold him in place; his mind does.

Has that happened to you? Your worry is in your mind, and you may be chained to it, thinking you cannot escape. You can pull up that stake that is limiting your life! You CAN replace worry with faith!

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4. Helen H. Lemmel, © Singspiration 1922, renewal 1950

#4367

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

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1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

2. Memorize your favorite poem.

3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.

4. When you say, "I love you", mean it.

5. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

7. Believe in love at first sight.

8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams.

9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only

way to live life completely.

10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

11. Don't judge people by their relatives.

12. Talk slowly but think quickly.

13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and

ask, "Why do you want to know?"

14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

15. Call your mom.

16. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

17. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

18. Remember the three R's:

Respect for self;

Respect for others;

Responsibility for all your actions.

19. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

20. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct

it.

21. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

22. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older,their

conversational skills will be as important as any other.

23. Spend some time alone.

24. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

25. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

26. Read more books and watch less TV.

27. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back,

you'll get to enjoy it a second time.

28. Trust in God but lock your car.

29. A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to

create a tranquil harmonious home.

30. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't

bring up the past.

31. Read between the lines.

32. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

33. Be gentle with the earth.

34. Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.

35. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

36. Mind your own business.

37. Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.

38. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

39. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are

living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.

40. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.

41. Learn the rules then break some.

42. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other

is greater than your need for each other.

43. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

44. Remember that your character is your destiny.

45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

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DID THE EARTH MOVE FOR YOU?

Eleven-year-old Angela was stricken with a debilitating disease involving her nervous system. She was unable to talk, and the doctors did not hold out much hope of her ever recovering. The little girl was undaunted. There, lying in her hospital bed, she would vow to anyone who'd listen that she was definitely going to be walking again someday.

She was transferred to a specialized rehabilitation hospital in the San Francisco Bay area. The therapists were charmed by her undefeatable spirit. They taught her about imaging - about seeing herself walking. If it would do nothing else, it would at least give her hope and something positive to do in the long waking hours in her bed. Angela would work as hard as possible in physical therapy, in whirlpools and in exercise sessions. But she worked just as hard lying there faithfully doing her imaging, visualizing herself moving, moving, moving!

One day, as she was straining with all her might to imagine her legs moving again, it seemed as though a miracle happened: The bed moved! It began to move around the room! She screamed out, "Look what I'm doing! Look! Look! I moved, I moved!"

Of course, at this very moment everyone else in the hospital was screaming, too, and running for cover. People were screaming, equipment was falling, and glass was breaking. You see, it was an earthquake. But don't tell that to Angela. She's convinced that she did it. And now, only a few years later, she's back in school. On her own two legs. No crutches, no wheelchair. You see, anyone who can shake the earth between San Francisco and Oakland can conquer a piddling little disease, can't they?

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By Hanoch McCarty, Ed.D., from Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul, Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen

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Attitudes are contagious ... is yours worth catching?

If it's to be, it's up to me.

Your attitude, not your aptitude is the chief determinant of your success.

You are where you are and what you are because of the thoughts that dominate your mind.

We are either masters or victims of our attitudes. It's a matter of personal choice ... blessing or curse.

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel, are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.

-- Vincent Lombardi

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Today I shall behave as though this day is the one by which I shall be remembered.

-- R.A. Twerski

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You can change your thinking and thereby change your life. You can do this by deliberately imaging into your subconscious good ideas, positive images, instead of negative ones. You are constantly in a state of becoming. And you become what you think.

-- Mary Crowe

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From "Quotes from the Masters," September 13, 2001:

"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult undertaking which, more than anything else, will determine its successful outcome."

-- William James

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."

-- Helen Keller

"The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

-- Oscar Wilde

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

-- Winston Churchill (Quotes from the Masters, 12/11/01)

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The uncertain times we live in can cause us to experience the effects of stress and stress-related illnesses or complications. Stress is the wear and tear your body experiences due to the changes that occur as a part of living.

Whether the changes are global, work/ministry-related or personal, your body responds physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. You can reduce the wear and tear on your body by recognizing your body's response to stress and employing stress management techniques to ward off its harmful and long-term effects.

Stress management is a personal process to discover the techniques that work best for you. Here are a few proven strategies to help settle your mind, change your attitude, quiet your spirit and calm your body's response to stress:

1) Stop and listen! In times of stress, one natural response is to keep going and feverishly work into a panic, therefore increasing the stress response. Instead, try the opposite. When you feel pulled in many directions, stop everything. Find a quiet place without TV, people or activity. Do nothing for at least five minutes. Allow your mind and heart to open to the Holy Spirit. Remember when Elijah was stressed in 1 Kings 19? God told Elijah to go to the mountain and He would pass by. Elijah did not hear the voice of the Lord in the wind, earthquake or fire but in a still whisper. Elijah had to be still and quiet to hear from God.

2) Breathe deeply. Another common response to stressful times is shallow breathing. When we do not breathe deeply we deprive the body of adequate oxygen to think clearly and function properly. Instead of shallow breathing, actively take five to six long, full deep breaths. Inhale through your nose for a slow count to five and exhale through your mouth for a slow count of five. When you breathe deeply your body will respond with a lower blood pressure, slower heart rate and reduced tension in muscles, therefore reducing the pressure you feel from a tense situation.

3) Find the positive. When life gets out of hand, another typical response it to think of the worst. “Doom's Day” thinking leads to a higher stress level. When faced with stressful events immediately begin to speak the positive about the situation. Example: You are rear-ended by another car. The damage is relatively minor. Positives in this situation may be no one was seriously hurt, the damage is repairable, you have insurance to cover the cost of repairs, or it isn't raining. If you have challenges finding the positive in a situation, ask God to change your outlook so you can see things more clearly through His eyes.

4) Laugh. Proverbs 17:22a says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Laughter reduces stress by releasing endorphins into your body that lower your blood pressure, release tight muscles, increase your oxygen intake, stimulate your brain, and change your emotional outlook and thinking. Take a “laugh break” when things are stressful. Keep comic strips, funny photographs of family or friends, comedy movies, a funny book, or a Christian comedian CD or video on hand to use during your laugh break. Laughter therapy is gaining in popularity for treating everything from stress to cancer.

5) Get out and move. During stressful times your body produces hormones that are ready to help you protect yourself or get away from a “predator”. This is called the “fight or flight” response. When these hormones are not used by your body to fight or flee, they hang around, keeping your heart rate elevated, muscles tight, blood pressure up and cholesterol levels high. Exercise safely uses these hormones and limits the damage they can cause to your body. When stress is at its peak, get out and move. Walk around the neighborhood. Jog or run through a park. Play an active sport like basketball or racquetball. Join a fitness class. Finding a physical activity will help you manage the harmful effects of stress.

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him [Jesus] because He cares for you.” Ask God to show you the best process for managing the stresses that life brings your way.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #5167, and the next was added to HolwickID #5020]

Last Christmas, our youngest grandson was visiting at our son's house - and he was fascinated with the extensive Christmas lights his uncle had strung around the outside of his house. Now I should tell you that one of our grandson's first words was “light” - and lights are the first thing he will point out in any room. He's almost obsessed with them! As night fell and our son's Christmas lights came on, our grandson surprisingly was not very happy. We thought he would be amazed by all those lights, but instead he just kept pointing out this one short stretch of lights that wasn't working - and repeating, “Light off. Lights off.” Forget the hundreds of lights that were on!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “Seeing what isn't Working.”

Our grandson basically ignored the lights that were working - all he could see were the ones that weren't working. Sadly, there are grownup people who live most of their lives that way - they look right past the things that are working and choose to focus on the things that aren't working. So they're often frustrated, discontent, unhappy, critical. And when we're like that, I guess we become “negatologists” - people who major on the negative.

Which robs us of what the Bible identifies as a major source of strength for everyday living. Nehemiah actually announced it Nehemiah 8:10, our word for today from the Word of God. He simply said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” That joy is a stubborn positiveness about life that's rooted in the Lord you belong to rather than the circumstances you're experiencing.

Earlier in the Book of Nehemiah, we see a somewhat inverted example of how he must have lived this out in his everyday life. Now, Nehemiah is a Jewish captive who works as a trusted servant of the King of Persia. For some time now, Nehemiah has been grieving over the reports the condition of his people and his city back in Israel. One morning he comes in to serve the king, and the king asks, “Why is your face so sad when your are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” Nehemiah uses this as an opportunity to share the burden of this heart. And God uses this as an opportunity to enlist the king in the rebuilding of Jerusalem, His holy city.

Notice - it was a big deal that Nehemiah looked sad at work. For some of us, it would be a big deal if we looked happy at work! “Why are you so happy today?” For this “joy of the Lord” man, being down was a major exception to the way he was most of the time. Nehemiah must have been a man with heaven's perspective, who could see what lights were on any given day, rather than the lights that weren't working.

How about you? Could it be that you've allowed yourself to start dwelling most of the time on what's wrong - what's wrong with your situation, what's wrong with your church, what's wrong with the people around you, what's wrong with your family members? Without realizing it, you've allowed yourself to become what the world already has plenty of - a negatologist - a role totally unfitting for a follower of Jesus Christ. When you belong to Him, there is are always so many more lights on than off. But it all has to do with what you choose to dwell on. You can't choose your circumstances, but you can choose what you dwell on. Don't let the things that aren't working make you miss the beauty of the lights that are on all around you.

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickId #16289]

Dr. Victor Frankl, the bold, courageous Jew who became a prisoner during the Holocaust, endured years of indignity and humiliation by the Nazis before he was finally liberated. At the beginning of his ordeal, he was marched into a Gestapo courtroom. His captors had taken away his home and family, his cherished freedom, his possessions, even his watch and wedding ring. They had shaved his head and stripped his clothing off his body. There he stood before the German high command, under the glaring lights being interrogated and falsely accused. He was destitute, a helpless pawn in the hands of jbrutal, prejudiced, sadistic men. He had nothing. No, that isn't true. He suddenly realized there was one thing no one could ever take from him - just one. Do you know what is was?

Dr. Frankl realized he still had the power to choose his own attitude. No matter what anyone would ever do to him, regardless of what the future held for him, the attitude choice was his to make. Bitterness or forgiveness. To give up or to go on. Hatred or hope. Determination to endure or the paralysis of self-pity. It boiled down to "Frankl . . . one string!"

- Dale E. Galloway, {Dream a New Dream} (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1975) 59

[see also HolwickID #11503]

A group of villagers in the Orient decided that a towering hill with a bamboo thicket on top had to be leveled so that the ground could be used for farming purposes. That same hill in the USA would have required the aid of giant earth-moving equipment to level the ground, but the Oriental mind didn't see things quite that way.

Thousands of people who lived in the immediate area got together and started removing the hill basket by basket of dirt. They handed down the baskets from top to bottom, and in some cases the lines were two miles long. For many days it seemed as though nothing was happening; the hill was not disappearing. But over a period of time, due to incredible teamwork and the commitment of thousands of people, the hill was leveled to a beautiful, flat farming area.

By their example, the Orientals demonstrated that when we are confronted with seemingly impossible tasks, if we break them down into small segments -- or one basket at a time -- we can literally accomplish the impossible and move mountains. The villagers took a liability and turned it into an asset. Think about it. Examine your liabilities -- maybe you can convert them to assets, even if it's just a basket at a time.

"Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful."

-- Norman Vincent Peale

"It is funny about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the very best you will very often get it."

-- W. Somerset Maugham

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."

-- Henry Ford

"Always do more than is required of you."

-- George S. Patton

"If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor."

-- Neil Simon, playwright, BITS & PIECES (B&P)

"What is necessary is never a risk."

-- Jean-Francois-Paul de Gondi (c. 1614-1679), clergyman and politician, B&P

There was a very cautious man

Who never laughed or played.

He never risked, he never tried,

He never sang or prayed.

And when he one day passed away,

His insurance was denied.

For since he never really lived,

They claimed he never died.

-- (unknown), cited in More of...The Best of BITS & PIECES

"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."

-- William Shakespeare (from "Quotes From the Masters," July 20, 2001)

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

-- Goethe

"Be willing to launch in faith, with no guarantees of success. This is the mark of personal greatness."

-- Brian Tracy

"Dare to risk public criticism."

-- Mary Kay Ash

"Be like the turtle. If he didn't stick his neck out, he wouldn't get anywhere at all."

-- Harvey Mackay

"The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible - and achieve it, generation after generation."

-- Pearl S. Buck

"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

-- Andre Gide

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So, what the heck, leap."

-- Cynthia Heimel

"When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take -- choose the bolder."

-- William Joseph Slim

"Someone once asked me what I want on my epitaph when I pass away. Just the words - 'I tried.' That's what this game of life is all about. Trying. There's the tryers, the criers, and the liars."

-- Mickey Rooney

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

-- Mark Twain (1835-1910), Humorist and writer, cited in BITS & PIECES

"To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, live, or love. Chained by his addictions, he's a slave. He has forfeited his greatest trait, and that is his individual freedom. Only the person who risks is free."

-- Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998), educator and writer, cited in BITS & PIECES

"Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith."

-- Hudson Taylor; submitted by Lynn Floyd, www.sermoncentral.com

"If you can't be a genius, imitate the daring."

-- Eudora Welty (1909-2001), writer, cited in Bits & Pieces

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

-- T. S. Eliot (1888-1965), writer, cited in BITS & PIECES

"No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his body ... to risk his well being ... to risk his life ... in a great cause."

-- Theodore Roosevelt, President

"Youth was made for heroism and not for pleasure."

-- Dr. Tony Campolo, quoting author of "Denial of Death"

Poem on taking risks:

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken.

Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

If you risk nothing and do nothing, you dull your spirit.

You may avoid suffering and sorrow,

But you cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, and live.

Chained by your attitude, you are a slave.

You have forfeited your freedom.

Only if you risk are you free.

(unattributed), cited in More of...The Best of BITS & PIECES

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

-- Alexander Pope

"Finite to fail, but infinite to venture."

-- Emily Dickinson

"Boldness is a child of ignorance."

-- Francis Bacon

"When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take -- choose the bolder."

-- W. J. Slim

"In great straits and when hope is small, the boldest counsels are the safest."

-- Livy

"Who bravely dares must sometimes risk a fall."

-- Tobias G. Smollett

"Fortune befriends the bold."

-- John Dryden

"Boldness is ever blind, for it sees not dangers and inconveniences whence it is bad in council though good in execution."

-- Francis Bacon

"Boldness is a mask for fear, however great."

-- Lucan

"It is wonderful what strength of purpose and boldness and energy of will are roused by the assurance that we are doing our duty."

-- Walter Scott

"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps."

-- David Lloyd George

"Confident people are willing to take risks; people who take risks develop self-confidence."

-- Brian Tracy

"If you want to catch beasts you don't see everyday,

You have to go places quite out-of-the-way.

You have to go places no others can get to.

You have to get cold, and you have to get wet, too."

-- Dr. Seuss, QFTM 2/22/03

"Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that

knows not victory, nor defeat."

-- Theodore Roosevelt, QFTM 3/15/03

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult."

-- Seneca

"To get profit without risk, experience without danger, and reward without

work is as impossible as it is to live without being born."

-- A. P. Gouthey, Wit & Wisdom 5/21/04

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

-- T. S. Eliot, PreachingNow 2/6/07

MURPHY'S LAW: "Nothing is as easy as it looks; everything takes longer than you expect; and if anything can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible moment."

How many of you are believers in Murphy's law? Many are. And what you believe greatly affects what you do.

MAXWELL'S LAW: "Nothing is as hard as it looks; everything is more rewarding than you expect; and if anything can go right, it will, and at the best possible moment."

Which is truer?

The late William Arthur Ward was one of my favorite writers. His insights and ability to put a philosophy of life into a few words were truly remarkable. Here is a sample from his book, "Reward Yourself":

A man phoned his physician and excitedly exclaimed: "Please come at once, Doctor. My son has swallowed my fountain pen."

The doctor replied, "I'll be right over. But what are you doing in the meanwhile?"

"Using a pencil," answered the father.

What we do "in the meanwhile" is of vital importance to our lives - and to the lives of others. What we do "in the meanwhile" can build our character or destroy it. It can make our fortune or mar it.

What we do "in the meanwhile" ... presents a philosophy of life. Adopt it for your own, and you truly will reward yourself.

[This has illustrations that can be used in a positive or negative way by preachers. -Holwick]

GREAT ACHIEVERS BELIEVE THEY ARE GREAT

Muhammad Ali was one of the finest boxers in history. But before he received his acclaim, before his name and face became known around the world, he was just another struggling fighter trying to break into the big time. Perhaps you can remember the day, as I do, when we read the headline on the sports page. There were only three words: "I'm the greatest!"

They were said to the press by a young man named Cassius Clay before his first great match with Sonny Liston. Yes, he'd been great at the Olympics, but he seemed pretentious. At first, the press scoffed at him. But when he won, they took notice. Not only had he won, but he had predicted it. Cassius Clay - who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali - subsequently went on a world tour constantly reiterating his motto, "I'm the greatest!" He also began predicting the round in which he would knock out his opponent. In all but one or two cases, he was right! He affirmed, I dance like a butterfly and I sting like a bee ... I'll knock you out in round three.

How could he do that? Had Muhammad Ali tied into some mysterious force that gave him the power to see into the future? Was there something he understood that we didn't? The answer is yes!

That mysterious force Ali tapped into is called affirmation. Affirmations are the words you say to yourself or that others say to you that you believe, think about, act on, and that come about.

UNDERSTANDING AFFIRMATION

Notice that when Ali spoke, he never said, I'm great or I'm almost the greatest or even, Next year I'll be the greatest. When he said, simply and clearly, I'm the greatest! he was accomplishing three things simultaneously:

First, he was letting his own subconscious know what it had to work with. For the subconscious there is only the present - the eternal present - so he was defining himself right then and there. In effect, he was telling his subconscious what it was supposed to believe in the here and now.

Second, by speaking his affirmation out loud and in front of others, he was putting his subconscious on notice that there was no backing down. He had declared it. Now he had to live up to it.

Third, once he had lived up to what he had said by becoming world champion, he got others to believe it, as well. Thus, when he said he would knock out another fighter in the third round, he made sure that other fighter heard the declaration. It was psychological warfare at its best. When the third round came, the other fighter was waiting to be knocked out. Such was Ali's strength of affirmation that even his opponents believed it was going to happen. Consequently it did.

While Ali's boxing skills were indeed significant, even greater were his psychological skills. As with Muhammad Ali, all your triumphs must first be won in the mind before they're ever attempted in the ring.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT MAKING NEGATIVE STATEMENTS

If you keep believing what you've been believing, you'll keep achieving what you've been achieving.

An affirmation is a statement of belief. Without it, the subconscious is free to be programmed by others beliefs. Since the subconscious is untrained, we know that it believes whatever happens to be poured into it. If it's told that it is withdrawn, unsure, self-conscious, inferior, helpless or suffers from low self-esteem, it believes that and acts accordingly.

In other words, negative input from the conscious mind results in negative output from the subconscious mind. Likewise, positive thinking and believing causes positive believing and results.

BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. - Dr. Napoleon Hill

In order to achieve your goals, you've got to believe you can do it. Your beliefs determine your actions, and your actions determine your results. If you take substantial right action, you'll obtain substantial right results.

But consciously believing is the key!

How can you arrive at these positive beliefs? First put your goal in writing. Then visualize the goal. Finally, use affirmations to drive home your belief in your abilities to achieve that goal. Affirmation is the key that unlocks the door to belief.

The truth is, we all tend to believe things that are written down. Another truth is that we all tend to believe something when it's affirmed. Repeated affirmation lends credibility. When we say it out loud, we always have an audience of at least one - our own subconscious mind. And when our subconscious hears us affirming, it at least gives us the benefit of the doubt. It says, Well, he could be right.

When we affirm in front of someone else, we really put the squeeze on our subconscious. It's forced to say, Wow, you really did it! You committed yourself. If you don't follow through, you'll look the fool and be embarrassed. Now I have to get off my behind and save you on this. I guess I'll have to go to work!

Can you see the power of affirmation? It forces our subconscious to believe that we really can. What are your goals? What would you like your subconscious mind to begin believing about you? Take some time now to complete these thoughts:

I am going to achieve... I am going to own...

I am going to enjoy... I am going to believe...

I am going to attract... I am going to empower...

HOW TO AFFIRM

Once we understand the vital importance of affirmations in the achievement of our future greatness and development of our optimal potential, our next question must be: How do we affirm? At first you may want to do it alone until you get the hang of it. Later on, you'll probably feel comfortable doing it in public.

1. The first thing you must do is stand. Standing brings your full consciousness to attention.

2. Make your statement of affirmation. Make it loud and clear and be sure that your voice isn't quivering. Furthermore, never say you'll try to accomplish something. When you say I'm going to try to be the greatest or I'm going to try to be beautiful or I'm going to try to succeed, remember that it doesn't cost any more to affirm greatness than it does to affirm mediocrity. So why affirm anything less?

DO IT OFTEN

The more you affirm, the sooner you'll put your obedient subconscious mind to work and get results. You must master your mind; don't let it master you.

WHAT TO AFFIRM

Thus far I've talked about how and when to affirm. The next logical step is to ask ourselves, What should I affirm? This is, of course, a personal choice. It really depends on your purpose and your goals.

I suggest that you have a main affirmation that you constantly repeat as well as other affirmations that you use as needed. Go for something that's simple, positive, succinct and constructive. It should be easy to repeat, so that it becomes like a perpetual continuous-loop tape recording in the mind. It's a good idea to create your own main self-affirmation that you feel comfortable stating first thing in the morning.

Start by smiling at yourself in the mirror. Say, Good morning. We're going to have a great day today. Then follow through. Go forward into your day with the knowledge and belief that you are going to produce great results.

Be your own best cheerleader. If you're impressed with you, the world will be impressed with you.

Affirmations don't have to be fancy, long or drawn-out. Simplicity is the key. And they should be in the present, not the future tense (remember, the subconscious doesn't operate in the future, it only understands now).

Your affirmation should be spoken with as much conviction as you can give it. If you find yourself stumbling over the words, start over. A hint here is that if you just can't make yourself say it, shout it

AFFIRM OTHERS

When you affirm another human being, you raise his or her self-esteem. It costs nothing to do, yet it pays dividends that are profound. The other person, in turn, will reciprocate, and you will receive bountiful rewards, maybe not directly from the person your affirming.

There are three kinds of affirmations or compliments that we can give to others:

(1) - The first is to affirm someone's physical attributes. This is historically how most men have complimented women. (I always ask: May I pay you a compliment? It allows the receiver to be in a space of accepting it.)

(2) - The second way is to affirm mental virtues. These affirmations go to the intellectual giant in our class, to someone who has done well academically or in business. These two ways are generally limited.

(3) - We can't compliment everyone on their mental virtues or their physical attributes; or else we would rightly be accused of being insincere. But there is a third way we can affirm others, and that is for their qualities, their achievements and their actions. Everyone has a set of core qualities and beliefs that they express. They are funny, sincere, courageous, disciplined, well organized, loving, compassionate, dedicated, or persistent. Perhaps they demonstrate high levels of integrity, morality, ethics or honesty. Maybe they are straightforward, a risk taker or someone who cares deeply about animals or children. When we affirm these qualities and beliefs in someone, we are acknowledging them at a core level. This is the deepest and most powerful kind of affirmation you can give another person, and it will come back to you in many positive and often unseen ways.

How can you affirm others? How can you touch others on a core level and affirm their greatness?

EXPECT RESULTS

Through affirmation - and, of course, writing down our goals and using the power of visualization - we can achieve amazing results. Just how amazing really depends on each of us individually. Affirmations and the other techniques I've mentioned allow you to change your beliefs, assumptions and opinions about that most important person - yourself. They allow us to harness those 18 billion brain cells and get them all going in a singular and purposeful direction.

The subconscious is engaged in a process that transforms us. It's invisible. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't take a long time. It just happens. Once you become accustomed to the process and its elementary mechanics, you'll be able to do it with increasing frequency and facility.

Key #1 - Start the change process by setting a goal. Write down your goals, making them as clear as you can - both in your mind and in your written expression of them.

Key #2 - Visualize the goal as completed. Use the power of your mind to "see" yourself as the person you want to be.

Key #3 - Affirm the desired results. Before you go to sleep, "playback" your series of affirmations: I am lively. I am outgoing. I am friendly. I am poised. I am charming. I am meeting people who are attracted to me. I am lovely.

Repeat these affirmations every night for a month until they become automatic, until you've woven them into the fabric of your being.

Soon, they'll automatically repeat themselves to you throughout the day. By the time this happens, you'll be far along the path to becoming the person you want to be. Your subconscious will get the message, and it will be reflected in every action you take, producing the desired response and change in yourself and others.

*

[A motivational speaker's views on optimism]

I have been giving some thought lately to optimism and pessimism. Basically, these are attitudes. Attitudes that shape and formulate our entire existence. I mean, have you ever met a happy pessimist? Of course not.

In short, our optimism or pessimism is this:

The way we interpret the past

The way we experience and view the present

The way we imagine the future

Have you given much thought about how your attitude, whether you are an optimist or a pessimist, affects you business, organization or school? Have you thought about how it affects you personally? And what about the team you are a part of?

What is optimism? It is a belief that things in our past were good for us, even if that means they were hard and taught us lessons. It is also the belief that things will be better in the future.

Here are some contrasts between optimism and pessimism and how they affect us:

Optimism breathes life into you each day

Pessimism drains you

Optimism helps you to take needed risks

Pessimism plays it safe and never accomplishes much

Optimism improves those around you

Pessimism drags them down

Optimism inspires people to great heights

Pessimism deflates people to new lows

There is only one way that optimism and pessimism are the same and that is that they are both self-fulfilling. If you are an optimist, you will generally find that good things happen to you. And if you are a pessimist, you will find yourself in the not-so-good situations more often than not.

So can a person just become an optimist? Yes! We can choose to look at the world any way we want to. We can choose to look at the world and think the worst, or we can tell ourselves the good things about each situation. As you find yourself looking at your enterprise, begin to view it through the eyes of an optimist, and you will reap the rewards listed above, and so will the people around you.

There are tremendous benefits to being an optimist, as stated above. But there are some pessimists out there who will say, "But that isn't realistic." I say, "Who cares?" If things go awry, at least I have spent my time beforehand enjoying life and not worrying about it. And, being an optimist, I would view the "negative" situation as an opportunity to grow and learn. So I can even look forward to my failures because they will be stepping stones, and learning tools to be applied to my future success.

Have you ever met a successful pessimist? Become an optimist and see your world change before your eyes!

Have you ever known of someone who sets an example you can learn from, emulate, and utilize for the rest of your life? Such a person is my Dad. Dad's ability isn't only finding the good in everyone, but also verbalizing it. He's mastered building people both directly and to others. Most people gossip. Dad finds and speaks the good. When he must correct, it's always with tact and kindness.

Most people relate to others the bad spoken of them, creating conflict. Dad always relates the good someone said about them, bringing people closer together.

Have you ever heard husbands, when speaking to others, make unkind remarks about their wives? It's one of those "macho" things. Sure, they're "only kidding," but words matter. Examples, good and bad, are set, especially for children. Dad ALWAYS speaks of Mom in the most complimentary, glowing terms. As does she of him. They began poor and built a successful business. Although Dad was the one in the public eye and Mom more comfortable behind the scenes, Dad always made sure everyone knew who he considered to be the true driving force behind the business.

My favorite "Dad story" took place when I was 12. We were having carpet installed in our home. The crew boss was one of those stereotypical beer-guzzlin', hard-livin' guys, who would have probably belonged to Ralph Kramden's Raccoon Lodge from the old Honeymooner's TV show (nothing wrong with that - just painting a picture:-)).

For lunch, my folks bought pizza for the crew. Dad went to talk with the boss about the job. I was around the corner listening.

The boss said, "This is an expensive job. Women will really spend your money, won't they?"

Dad responded, "Well, I'll tell you, when they were right there with you before you had any money, it's a pleasure to do anything for them you possibly can."

This wasn't the answer he expected. He was looking for negative talk about wives which, to him, was natural. He tried again, "But, gee, they'll really play off that and spend all they can, won't they?"

Dad replied, as I knew he would, "Hey, when they're the reason you're successful, you want them to do the things they enjoy. There's no greater pleasure." Strike two.

The crew boss tried one more time, "And they'll take that as far as they can, huh?" Dad responded, "She's the best thing that ever happened to me. I'd do anything to make her happy."

I was trying not to laugh. I knew he wanted Dad to give in just a little bit and say, "Yeah, I guess that's true." But I knew that wouldn't happen...not in a million years!

Finally, the boss gave up. Maybe he learned something about respecting one's spouse. Maybe not. But it taught a young boy a lot about the power of respect and edification.

Mom and Dad recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. They still hold hands, and are more in love than ever. Would there be any doubt?

*

At the turn of the last century, a young boy quit school to help with the family expenses. When he was fifteen, he became interested in automobiles and worked in a garage. He subscribed to a correspondence home study course on automobiles and, after a long day in the garage, studied at the kitchen table by lamplight.

When he felt ready, he walked into the Frayer-Miller Automobile Company of Columbus, Ohio. When Mr. Frayer noticed him, he asked, “Well, what do you want?”

“I just thought I'd tell you I'm coming to work here tomorrow morning,” the boy replied.

“Oh? Who hired you?”

“Nobody yet, but I'll be on the job in the morning. If I'm not worth anything, you can fire me.”

Early the next morning the young man returned to the plant. Noticing the floor was thick with metal shavings and accumulated dirt and grease, the boy got a broom and shovel and set to work cleaning the place.

Because of his self-confidence and work ethic, Eddie Rickenbacker's future was predictable. He went on to excel in many fields, including automobile racing, piloting World War 1 planes and founding what was to become one of America's largest airline companies - Eastern Airlines.

There is no magic bullet to instantly become a self-confident person. But it begins with one of the most important relationships in your life - your relationship with yourself. People who become more confident habitually encourage themselves. They become their own best friend.

Rob Bremer asks the question, “If you had a friend who talked to you like you sometimes talk to yourself, would you continue to hang around with that person?” If the answer is “Yes!” you are on the track to becoming more self-assured.

Without confidence, you are not likely to move far in the direction of your dreams. But become your own best friend and almost anything will be possible.

If I may judge sermons by the good they do me and the length of time I can remember them, then the best sermon I ever heard was preached by an old jungle farmer, standing up to his knees in mud in the middle of an extensive rice field, and it illustrated Hebrews 12:1-2 perfectly.

It was the monsoon season in Burma. Day by day the sky had emptied itself onto the thirsty land. The Salween River was swollen to overflowing. Every available man and woman was transplanting rice. I was taking supplies to Peter at our outstation in Naung Ka Ring. I had a pack on my back, huge rubber boots on my feet, and an umbrella over my head, but the journey was exceedingly unpleasant.

In the dry season it was only three miles across the fields, but now with the rice terraces planted or ready for planting, all filled with water and mud, the path zigzagged to six miles in, out, around, and on top of the little mud walls which bordered the tiny fields. I slipped frequently. It's no fun to sit down and pour mud and water out of your boots; it's no fun to itch all over with prickly heat; and I was feeling “gloriously miserable” as I sighed “Oh, there'll be joy when the work is done.”

It was just at this time that I approached a group of about 12 people planting one tiny field. Their backs were bent. Their lips were blue. Their skin was goose fleshed. What clothes they had were stuck to their bodies because of the rain. I paused. My heart went out to them in sympathy, and I said to the poor old man nearest to me, “Uncle, I'm so sorry for you.”

He looked up and said, “Huh?”

“I'm sorry for you, because you must be so tired,” I repeated.

The old man looked puzzled and again said, “Huh?”

“Why, look at your skin! Your lips!” I cried. “How tired must your back be! And that mud! Look, you are up to your knees in soft, oozy mud! And I'm sorry for you.”

A smile lit up his face. He turned to his companions and pointing to me with his thumb over his shoulder, he said: “Poor man! He doesn't understand! He doesn't understand!” Then he turned his radiant face toward me and added: “Teacher, you don't understand. This is the best mud in the river valley. Look how soft it is! How easy to poke in the young plants! We started very early this morning, and there is a little bit of a moon tonight; we will keep planting till we can't see another stalk of rice. Oh, Teacher, this is a good mud! We get 40 bushels of rice to the acre in mud like this!”

He bent again to his task. I murmured some good wishes, and turned to my journey. But something had happened. What a vision that dear old man had! The mud and the weariness were there, but he was not looking at them, he was looking at the 40 bushels of rice at the end of the harvest time, and the vision of that reward made him rejoice in his mud! Good mud!

Suddenly I found myself saying after him, “Good mud! Forty bushels of rice to the acre in mud like this!” And my weariness was gone, my feet weren't sore any more. My prickly heat didn't itch. I was thinking of the souls Peter and I were going to have at the harvest time, and I shouted again, “Good mud!”

________

Eric B. Hare, Our Times, January 1947.

*

According to a poll conducted on USA Today’s website, 80 percent of Americans will make at least one New Year’s resolution. But research indicates that many of those setting New Year’s goals will have broken them by March.

Even though most of us have a history of breaking our New Year’s commitments, year after year we continue to make them. Why? I think it’s because deep down we really want to improve.

Among the most popular resolutions are commitments to lose weight, reduce debt and break a bad habit. These are noble aspirations and, if kept, would certainly have positive results. However, there is one area of life that is usually overlooked and one that will not only help us keep our resolutions, but also will impact virtually every area of our lives.

What is this important aspect of life that is often ignored? Attitude.

A mother and her pre-teen daughter embarked on a day of shopping. Several little things went wrong before the pair left home. To add to the day’s frustrations, traffic was snarled. Mom and daughter finally reached the mall a couple of hours behind the mother’s intended schedule.

At the first stop the mother was very short with a salesperson. As they exited the store, Mom huffed, “Did you see the look that woman gave me?” The little girl replied, “Oh, Mama, she didn’t give you that look, you had it when you went in!”

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it,” wrote the Psalmist. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” penned the Apostle Paul. These writers declare what many know to be true, and that is attitude is everything.

Several years ago, the Carnegie Institute analyzed the personnel records of 10,000 employees. The study concluded that 15 percent of success was due to technical training. The other 85 percent was the result of one factor: a positive attitude.

The Center for Creative Leadership studied 105 executives and found that successful leaders possessed stable, positive attitudes while the unsuccessful ones had outlooks that were unpredictable and critical.

A variety of Fortune 500 companies use the following criteria when considering individuals for an executive position: 1) Ambition, 2) ATTITUDE toward company policy, 3) ATTITUDE toward colleagues, 4) Supervisory skills, 5) ATTITUDE toward excessive demands on time and energy.

Your attitude is everything and will determine not only how you face each day, but also how you face life. A positive attitude will produce good results. “A cheerful heart has a continual feast,” observed the writer of Proverbs. He also wrote, “A joyful heart is good medicine.”

The good news about attitude is that we control it.

A man at a construction site opened his lunch sack and began to complain. “Not bologna again,” he whined. “I hate bologna sandwiches. I can’t stand them.” He lamented, “I don’t think I can eat one more bologna sandwich.” A friend asked, “Why don’t you ask your wife to make you something else?” The man moaned, “I can’t, I make my own lunch.”

Attitude is a matter of perspective. You can choose to have a “rejoicing in the day” attitude. A shoe tycoon dispatched two of his top salesmen to a remote area of Africa. In just a few days he received a telegram from both. One read: “No one here wears shoes. The prospect for success is remote.” The other read: “Send more inventory, no one here owns shoes.”

“A positive attitude won’t allow you to do everything,” motivational guru Zig Ziglar once said. “But a positive attitude will allow you to do everything better.” As you contemplate a New Year’s resolution, why not consider one that will affect every aspect of your life. Focus on cultivating a positive attitude.

Remember you choose the “look” you take with you. Why not choose one that is positive and pleasant? This is the day the Lord has made! Choose to rejoice! Choose to be glad in it!

What if I promised you that you could make anything happen — anything! — just by wanting it to happen?

You would think I was crazy, and you would be right. So why is a book based on this premise selling so fast that bookstores cannot keep it on the shelves?

Rhonda Byrne’s THE SECRET has been on the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list for months, and a DVD version is also selling out everywhere. Byrne is selling the tempting message that ANYTHING you want is possible and easy to get.

This isn’t just about keeping an optimistic attitude to improve your life — it goes far beyond that. Byrne says a force called the Law of Attraction guarantees that if you think positive thoughts about what you want, you will get it. “The Universe” will bend over backwards to hand you whatever you wish for: money, a better job, a spouse, anything.

Byrne’s claims are absurd on their face. She swears repeatedly that the Law of Attraction NEVER fails, that it’s as reliable as the law of gravity. So what happens if two people both use “the secret” to make opposite things happen — for instance, if one wanted a sunny day and the other wanted rain?

Somehow, Byrne forgets to address this topic.

But that’s not the worst part. Among all the positive rhetoric are some very ugly concepts. While you are rearranging the universe to suit your own wishes, Byrne claims, you must avoid people who might inspire negative thoughts. So you should never look at overweight people or let sick people tell you about their illness.

Furthermore, if some people are poor, it “is because they are BLOCKING money from coming to them with their thoughts.” (Jesus Christ, she announces, was actually a millionaire.) And people involved in tragedies and disasters brought it on themselves. They did not want enough NOT to “be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Friends, I am not exaggerating. It’s all in there.

Tim Watkin reports in the WASHINGTON POST, “I watched Bob Proctor ... one of the ‘gurus’ Byrne quotes most often, being asked on ‘Nightline’ whether the starving children of Darfur had ‘manifested’ — that is, visualized — their own misery. In utter seriousness, he replied, ‘I think the country probably has.’”

But Byrne is not saying you should not care about other people. You SHOULD care about them — because it is good for YOU: “If you think thoughts of love, guess who receives the benefits — you!”

Unfortunately, people are really swallowing this stuff. And it is dangerous. The book contains examples of people who supposedly cured themselves of cancer without treatment, and people who bought expensive things because they just KNEW the money was coming in — I saw many of those in bankruptcy court when I was a practicing attorney. Karin Klein reports in the LOS ANGELES TIMES, “Therapists tell me they’re starting to see patients who are headed for real trouble, immersing themselves in a dream world in which good things just come.”

Byrne has scammed millions of people by appealing to their pride and greed, and she is making a fortune. But I will tell you this for free: Byrne’s hot new trend is simply a repetition of the oldest lie there is — ”You shall be like God.”

That’s the secret, not of success, but of misery.

________

Copyright (c) 2007 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

In the movie “Shawshank Redemption” the character Andy is an inmate who has been sentenced to life in prison. He is there in spite of the fact that he is innocent. The other inmates know and believe him to be innocent. They are very surprised by his ability to live daily with hope in spite of the loss of his freedom.

Andy is asked how he is able to withstand this injustice with such positiveness. He replies, “I believe that you have to do one of two things: you have to get busy living or you have to get busy dying.”

________

(Holwick: I thought the movie was ambiguous whether Andy was innocent or guilty, but the point remains valid)

Specifically among believers, let’s consider for a moment how popular it has become to promote a positive self-image, to affirm personal identity in self and to uplift confidence in one’s own ability.

Whether a mother uplifting her daughter’s self-image or a speaker proclaiming a message to make people “feel better” about themselves, is it biblical to promote high self-esteem for those in the body of Christ?

I’ve wrestled with this question in my early years of the faith. Uplifting and encouraging others always seemed to be a noble task the church should champion. In fact, why would anyone get upset at people promoting self-esteem among other Christians, making them feel good or uplifting them in their abilities?

This, however, is not a matter of what sounds best; rather, we must consider whether promoting high self-esteem lines up with Scripture. As believers, we have the blessed assurance of knowing our faith is firmly grounded in the absolute truths of Scripture (Psalm 1:1-3). In the Word, we find life (Proverbs 4:4), hope (Titus 2:13) and ultimate fulfillment (Psalm 3:2-6) because we find each page saturated with Jesus. Thus, if we are striving to be biblical, let’s hold the phrase “high self-esteem” up to the Bible and ask: Is promoting self-esteem a biblical concept?

Self-esteem can be defined as the subjective self-measure of an individual’s worth and value. According to psychology, when every humanistic need is met, mankind can reach their ultimate fulfillment, or “self-actualization.” Therefore, a self-actualized individual is one who has fulfilled all humanistic needs -- one of those being high self-esteem. Psychology teaches that the good in self can help one attain ultimate satisfaction. At its very core, this is not a biblical concept, but a psychological construct.

Why does this concept of esteeming self pose a problem for believers? Let me use a personal example. I may not remember the specific date the Lord saved me, but I will never forget what happened that day. I was lying on my bedroom floor, mourning the sinful life I was choosing to live. Granted, at the time I was about 8 years old, but the impact of God’s Word resonated so deep that it pierced my callused heart.

God’s Word showed me that I was a foul sinner (Romans 3:23), completely helpless in my current state (Romans 5:6) and fighting to see the destruction of God’s Kingdom (Galatians 5:17). The Spirit brought about my brokenness, and without a miraculous change (2 Corinthians 5:17) from God’s own choosing (John 6:44), my life was destined for destruction and death (2 Thessalonians 1:8). The constant teaching of Scripture depicted me as an individual always in this perpetual state of dependence and brokenness.

One thing is certain: once I understood this, I did not feel very good about myself or my abilities. In fact, none of the believers I know who fully grasp their depravity regard these truths as a boost to their self-esteem.

That is because our confidence, hope and fulfillment are not found in what I discover deep within myself. Even if there were a way to bring the deepest depths of my heart to light, I would only be deceived by the wickedness that comes from within (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, that which I choose to esteem should not be myself; rather, I exalt the God who is able to save.

Promotion of the self-esteem psychological construct deviates from Scripture because everything psychology suggests for man’s ultimate need is contrary to God’s Word. While psychology seeks to exalt man, God places believers on a completely opposite trajectory. God is glorified when man takes on a posture of decreasing self (John 3:30). The ultimate goal of seeking to promote high self-esteem is to teach man to depend on man, whereas the ultimate goal of Christianity is show man that, apart from God, he can do nothing (John 15:5). Therefore, may our churches always turn our hearts towards the ultimate fulfillment -- Christ.

But wait a minute....

Are you saying it’s unbiblical to promote confidence within my children, family and friends? How is it unbiblical to uplift their spirits by encouraging them?

Let’s be on the same page when it comes to defining the word “confidence.” According to Scripture, we are to “put no confidence in the flesh,” but only “boast in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:3). It’s true that we, as believers, are called to pursue mutual uplifting (Romans 14:19), encouraging one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and stirring our brothers/sisters toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). However, notice that we are to pursue these godly acts in order to point believers back toward the greatest fulfillment, which can only be found in Christ.

It is not unbiblical to uplift, encourage and instill confidence within fellow believers that will stir their affections toward Christ. It is contrary to Scripture when we turn those affections to our own abilities. Confidence and encouragement should always be found through the weakness of self, which points us to our hope of being eternally satisfied in Jesus Christ alone.