Sermon on A Positive Life
May I speak in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.
Life is what we make it. There are many alternatives to choose from. Probably one of the best choices we can make is to elect a positive life.
A positive life leads to positive thinking. If we think positively, then the world becomes our oyster. It becomes open, it becomes boundless and absolutely everything we would hope for becomes achievable. It is good for our soul, it is good for our heart, it is certainly good for our mind. Without it, we remain nothing more than vegetables.
We will derive ambition, perseverance and a determination to succeed in life. Doubt and fear of our own inadequacies will be laid to rest and the road ahead will remain open without restrictions or hindrances.
Happiness becomes more prevalent and people worry less with the right perspective in life. People are far more successful at work and in their personal lives. Every morning you wake, you feel good and ready to tackle the challenges of a new day. Your health will be much better as a result and you will sleep more peacefully without the constant tossing and turning that comes when we are mentally disturbed.
In the desperate current climate when we are plagued with the Corona Virus, not only do we need to stay healthy, we need to remain positive in our thoughts and minds. We need to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Little things to a lonely and isolated person can make a big difference in their lives. It can bring comfort and joy, reassurance that they are not all alone. Prayer is also extremely important at this difficult time in our personal relationship with God. His love and guidance can help us as much as those we help. It is team working and together we can eventually overcome it and return to a normal life.
Too many people in life fear failure or become scared quickly which prevents them from leading an exciting and interesting life. They are held back. They become restricted. They become confined within themselves. They are unable to set their heart free to enjoy life as it should be lived. The goodness of the world is lost and never rediscovered. With a new positive attitude, self-motivation will show its true worth and handling daily trials and tribulations will be done with far more ease.
There was once a young man who’d always dreamed of owning a successful bookshop selling specialist books in the heart of a major city. He had always been interested in books from childhood especially the more interesting factual ones of a specialist nature. The only thing that prevented him from achieving this ambition was his lack of capital. He had tried to obtain a loan from a high street bank but had been declined on numerous occasions due to the fact of his lack of experience in this specialised particular field. The lenders were not prepared to take such a huge risk with such an inexperienced person.
The loan advisor at the bank informed him that his initial step should be to acquire a smaller shop in a less prominent position to gain the necessary required experience and knowledge before venturing into such a high costly undertaking.
He took the advice and rented a small shop in a suburban town as the initial starting point. At first, the business was slow and his turnover was low. Times were hard for the young and struggling shopkeeper. He often wondered if he had done the right thing but over the course of two years his trade slowly increased to a healthy and profitable business which became sought-after by his customers requiring these specialised books which were otherwise extremely difficult to obtain for the general public.
This achievement gave him a great deal of self-satisfaction and pride in knowing that he had chosen and eventually succeeded in the correct vocation. On a particular date, a large shop, situated in a major city centre, became available in a sought after and prime location to purchase for quite a substantial sum of money. He quickly realised that this was well beyond his own financial means.
The only option left to him was to try and secure a large mortgage to enable him to make a hopefully successful offer for the premises. He made an appointment with the manager of his local bank to seek this and took with him all of his books and records pertaining to the success of his present shop. The manager examined all of the documentation very closely and then informed the young man that he was prepared to lend him the funds required, subject to certain conditions. He had achieved his lifelong ambition. It had, at times, been a struggle but his perseverance and determination had rewarded him in abundance.
Negative thinking does no-one any good at all. It is nothing but a hindrance in life and any thoughts should mentally be washed away swiftly with soap and water to stop the rot setting in. It casts a black cloud above us that does not move if we allow it to remain and succumb to its pressure. We need to allow the sunshine back into our lives, feel the warmth and goodness that it gives and relive that feel-good factor which can so easily be lost if we allow horrible things to dominate our lives.
We should love ourselves and love others just as God loves us. No matter how we feel when the times are dark and grey, no matter how bleak everything appears, no matter how much our faith may be put into doubt, we should always remember that God represents love in all its glory. He is there for each of us, every day of our lives on this mortal coil. In these challenging times when we are experiencing the Corona Virus outbreak, If we show and portray positive thought to others, so that they may also know and believe that life will eventually return to normal, we can face and overcome these dark days of uncertainty together.
May the breath of God's love ease our pain in these difficult times, remain with us forever and restore our faith in a loving God, so that we can all return to a normal, healthy and happy life. To all the Doctors, Nurses and Key Workers, a big thank you from the bottom of our hearts. May God bless you all.
Amen.
