Finding Good
Among mankind’s very favorite hobbies, we just love to complain. Right now it feels to many of us that there’s even more to complain about than usual. We may be right.
You don’t need me to list all the things that are wrong. (My list might not match yours anyway. Providing another cause for complaint!) There are quite a lot of lists in our Bibles, but the only lists of complaints that I can come up with are from the Almighty, listing the indictments against those who have forsaken His ways. There are many lists from the pen of Paul, however none of them start out, “Brethren, complain about these things…”
We do have a list of things to think about: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8) Notably missing—the untrue or unproven, wrongdoing, the corrupt, the ugly, the reprehensible, failures, things worthy of condemnation. I.e., the things we are so fond of complaining about.
Might be worth mentioning that when Paul wrote the list, he was wrongfully imprisoned and awaiting trial before an awful despot. And he goes on to talk about how he can handle, more than handle, he can be content in any situation at all. Remember, this letter is written to the brothers and sisters in the place where he had been beaten and jailed, and then spent the night singing! Not a guy to complain, even though he certainly had cause if anyone does.
We really need reminders, somebody or something to tell us, “Quit dwelling on all that JUNK and find something good to think about!” Our mental response: “Yeah, right. What is there that’s so good?” Glad you asked!
At my wife’s suggestion I’m reading a book called Nature Fix. She and I share a love of being outdoors when we can. This book details some of the recent science that backs up our subjective impression, that we just feel better outside. Turns out it can be proven that natural sounds, natural smells, and natural views all help with positive brain function, and reduce negative brain, heart and other functions. That’s true even in limited doses, and for each thing individually. When you add them together and get a bigger dose, the effect on mental and physical health is dramatic.
This has not been a surprise. I well remember a very stressful time in my life, when I would eat lunch in my car instead of the break room, because through the windshield, in the middle of an industrial park, I could see mountains rising up above the buildings. Every day I said to myself, “God’s things rise above man’s things. What God has made is far greater than anything man has made.” This daily reminder got me through the days, the weeks, the months of stress. I realize now that, without thinking of it consciously, I was following Paul’s advice. The creation gives testimony that God is true; His works are pure, and lovely, and worthy of praise.
Although I wasn’t specifically motivated by Paul’s list of things to think about, I was deliberately searching out the good, to counteract the effects of the man-stuff. And it worked!
Sometimes (OK, a lot of the time) we have to intentionally go looking for the good. We are never told to close our eyes to what is wrong and pretend everything is peachy. However we are told there are better, healthier things we can choose to think about, to talk about, to do. The creation around us may have been damaged by mankind (most of it has), but it remains true, lovely, admirable. God’s book may have been misused, but it remains true, right, excellent. God’s family may suffer from dissension and division, but the One Body remains true, honorable, right.
People commit appalling atrocities, and indulge themselves in infuriating pettiness and selfishness. We know from God’s word that every person is guilty of sin, and it’s very evident what it produces. But we’re never told to dwell on those things. What we’re told is to look for better. Think better, talk better, do better. We are in God’s image, remember? We are capable of love, generosity, being gracious, giving of ourselves. Even those who reject God recognize these things as good, right, praiseworthy. By our nature, our focus can so easily be on what is wrong. Plenty of it to see! But our calling is to abandon what our nature produces, and live new lives. Part of the new life is looking for, finding good. It takes energy. Our fuel, what powers finding good, is the good we receive from our God. His creation, His word, His people. Immersion in the works of God. Even including the comparatively feeble good accomplished by people who are thinking about, talking about, doing what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy.
Love, feeling a little better than I was, Paul
If you have any feedback, please contact me at: paul.zilmer@gmail.com