Test Positive
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4
Pretty much every one in America got tested this last year and no I am not talking about having a cotton swab stuck up your nose all the way to the back of your head until your eyes water and you get a weird taste in your mouth to find out if you have Covid-19 or not. I’m talking about having your faith tested. Aware or not, each of us are being tested in this life each and every day in some area and with each and every day the test results declare that we are either positive of negative.
Is your faith positive or negative? When the trials of life come your way where does your joy go? The best way, and sometimes the only way to stay positive is to focus on the big picture, to keep your eyes on Jesus and eternity. Thats what the writer of Hebrews tells us, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). There was nothing pleasurable about what Jesus suffered on Calvary’s Cross and yet the bible teaches us that it was “for the joy that was set before Him” that Jesus endured the Cross. What did Jesus see when He was experiencing all the pain? He saw the face of His Father who was proud of the faith and trust and love of His Son, He saw the faces of those who would be saved as a result of their placing their hope and trust in Him.
Jesus knew what I pray you hold onto throughout 2021. Pain is temporary, glory is eternal! Life is going to test you this year just like it did last year and the end result is you are either going to test positive or you will test negative. Don’t forget that your outlook, your demeanor and your attitude are completely controlled by you. We get to choose the results of our test even before we take the exam and face the tests this year will bring. Theres no reason to fear the test because every test God gives is an open book test. We have the Word of God available to us and the Holy Spirit with us so we can pass with flying colors.
There is only one way I know to test positive and to maintain a healthy perspective in life and not lose our joy. Philippians 2:1-8 provides us the answer on how we all can test positive when facing each and every trial that comes our way in 2021, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
The best way, the only way to maintain our joy and to “test positive” in life just like Jesus did is to get our eyes off ourselves and to fix them on Jesus and other people. When our motivation is serving God and serving others we experience more pleasure and purpose, more joy in life. Make it your aim to “Test Positive” each day in 2021 serving God by serving other people and loving God by sharing and showing His love, as all lives matter to God.
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 1:6-7
I LOVE YOU!
James 1:2-4
Pretty much every one in America got tested this last year and no I am not talking about having a cotton swab stuck up your nose all the way to the back of your head until your eyes water and you get a weird taste in your mouth to find out if you have Covid-19 or not. I’m talking about having your faith tested. Aware or not, each of us are being tested in this life each and every day in some area and with each and every day the test results declare that we are either positive of negative.
Is your faith positive or negative? When the trials of life come your way where does your joy go? The best way, and sometimes the only way to stay positive is to focus on the big picture, to keep your eyes on Jesus and eternity. Thats what the writer of Hebrews tells us, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). There was nothing pleasurable about what Jesus suffered on Calvary’s Cross and yet the bible teaches us that it was “for the joy that was set before Him” that Jesus endured the Cross. What did Jesus see when He was experiencing all the pain? He saw the face of His Father who was proud of the faith and trust and love of His Son, He saw the faces of those who would be saved as a result of their placing their hope and trust in Him.
Jesus knew what I pray you hold onto throughout 2021. Pain is temporary, glory is eternal! Life is going to test you this year just like it did last year and the end result is you are either going to test positive or you will test negative. Don’t forget that your outlook, your demeanor and your attitude are completely controlled by you. We get to choose the results of our test even before we take the exam and face the tests this year will bring. Theres no reason to fear the test because every test God gives is an open book test. We have the Word of God available to us and the Holy Spirit with us so we can pass with flying colors.
There is only one way I know to test positive and to maintain a healthy perspective in life and not lose our joy. Philippians 2:1-8 provides us the answer on how we all can test positive when facing each and every trial that comes our way in 2021, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
The best way, the only way to maintain our joy and to “test positive” in life just like Jesus did is to get our eyes off ourselves and to fix them on Jesus and other people. When our motivation is serving God and serving others we experience more pleasure and purpose, more joy in life. Make it your aim to “Test Positive” each day in 2021 serving God by serving other people and loving God by sharing and showing His love, as all lives matter to God.
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 1:6-7
I LOVE YOU!
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2021
January
Test PositiveHow Not To ForgetYour Best Year EverRelationship Over RulesKeep The Main Thing The Main ThingBonding FiresTake Me To ChurchWeight Gain Is GoodNot Seeing Is Believing Everything You Need To KnowLove Wins!Servants Not Slaves8 P's and 7 B'sWhat The World Needs NowThe World Is Falling... Into Place10 Minutes That Change The WorldHow To Kill A ButterflyWhat's The Score?You Can Know For SureWe Need A Good Wind StormThe Little Things
February
The Power of KindnessThe Cure For WorryThe Truth; The Whole Truth; And Nothing But The TruthGod UnderstandsDefining MomentsBetter Than NewLittle's Make Big'sOne Hour Could Change Your WorldInstructions With PicturesGrow Through ItFire and IceA Sweet Sweet SoundThe Way Up Is DownThe Gift of YouThe Cure For DepressionA Flower In Life's SidewalkLets Be FriendsOur Secret WeaponLove Win'sAll Gave Some, Some Gave All
March
Presence of MindFULLY ALIVEA Balanced LifeThink AgainHope In The DarkDon't Fill The CracksExchange Your 'Why' For 'What'Fear is FuelUse The KeyUse Your Smile To Change The World. Don't Let The World Change Your SmileOut With The OldCrossing PathsYou Have Your Father's EyesBecoming OneHidden In Plain SightDon't Blend InLocking ArmsWisdom verses KnowledgeThe War WithinThe Helpers HighEaster Changes Everything!
April
International Atheist DayThe Good In Good FridayLet The "Sonshine" InEaster TuesdayLearning To LingerBe YouI Can See Clearly NowShineLast WordsOpportunity KnocksYou Be JesusGod's DelaysBroken Into Something SweetGod Knows Your Real NameSilence Isn't GoldenA Common EnemyGod's GPSBroken Into OneYou Can Do It!When Silence Is GoldenYou Have To Enter To Win!
May
The Gift of LeeWhat Is Under Your Blanket?RACE TO THE BOTTOMGod's GymThe Best of MeDesire, Discipline, DelightHeaven's Beauty SecretsGet Enlightened Not FrightenedLessons Learned The Hard WayNo Ordinary JoeFully Alive!Finish Strong!Givers and TakersNo Fear In LoveLike A Walk In The ParkColor EverywherePerfect In Any Light
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