MOANING AND MOURNING

You know the type. Woe is me! They moan and groan that nothing works for them, no one ever does anything for them, they're so ill-used and nobody understands how they feel. I'm sure you've met them. Nothing is ever right. The world, in their opinion, owes them something and is not handing over what it owes. Complaints are the main course, and for dessert there's criticism sometimes topped with a few expletives. These people do little and expect much in return.

After "dinner" comes the mourning. They mourn lost opportunities, past failures, unfulfilled dreams. These folk specialize in negative words, probably know more of them than the average person.  Death spews out of their mouths like water out of a fountain. Selfishness and self-seeking are at the root of it. And often laziness.

The wisest man that ever lived said, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (King Solomon - Proverbs 18:21). If only they knew it, these 'downtrodden' souls are killing themselves. Their words bring death every time they open their mouths. If only they could see things as they really are! From God's viewpoint. Then they would say with David, "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent."

We need to be constantly on our guard where our mouths are concerned. If we recorded our conversations, I wonder how often we would catch a negative statement or even just a word. How many times would a negative attitude be evident? I cry with David, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

Instead of mourning what can never be or what has been done in the past that can't be undone, let's make a decision to live this moment with a positive attitude, think positive thoughts, speak positive words. Let's mourn for our past negative attitudes, put them behind us and then get to work making a permanent change. Let's determine to bring life, not death, wherever we go--to ourselves and to others.

It's never easy to overcome negativity. I know--I've had to do it myself in some areas of my life. For years I lived with an inferiority complex. I thought I would never feel any other way, but with the Lord in my life, it has been conquered. I think less and less in the negative, more and more in the positive. It's freedom! It's believing God who will never fail rather than myself with all my failures. 

Now I don't look at those failures. They're in the past. Gone. Done deals. Can't be changed, so I'll leave them there. Not to say I'll never fail again, but I don't focus on even the possibility of failure. I have this new, fresh moment to live and I will live it for the Lord. My health and happiness depend on my positive attitude. I desire to live unselfishly, giving to others, giving to God without looking for anything in return. In this is blessing. And in this, in the long run, there will be great return. The ROI (return on investment) is out of this world. I'm looking forward to claiming it, but in the meantime I'm looking forward to each new moment the Lord gives to me. My mourning has been turned into dancing. No more moaning; no more mourning. Just dancing, singing and praise. Now that's what I call healthy!