Defined by Praise

Today I was pondering a passage of scripture from Isaiah 61.  On rainy, gloomy days it is easy to have a negative attitude.  That is the "natural" response, conforming to the pattern of the world.  But we are not of the world, and our response should be different.  When grim circumstances come our way, how we react should stand out.  We need to put on  "A garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair..." Isaiah 61:3  True, you can not control every situation, but you can control how you respond to it. (Just so you know I am speaking to myself here as well.)

One way God has been teaching me to adjust my outlook is by praising.  When I find something to be thankful for and voice it, it changes EVERYTHING!  How does this look?  Well, if it is gloomy, we can thank God that we have a house that doesn't leak, has power and heat, there are soooo many people who don't have these things.  Growing up in America I believe it is easy to take things for granted, but they truly are a novelty.

So I was thinking, how do I want to be defined: as the negative person or the positive person? As the glass half empty or half full?  As the one who dispairs or the one who praises.  I decided I want to be defined by praise!

If God has been teaching you something you want to share, please link up below or comment.  Don't forget to link back here and grab a button for your post :-)