CHOOSE TO LAUGH OR LAMENT

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice – Philippians 4:4

“There is nothing more destructive to our spirits than seething resentment. It’s a spiritual cancer. It can ruin our lives, it can make us sick…The choice is ours – we can encourage or discourage; we can soothe or seethe!

Some people go miserably through life, crying “Woe is me” at every turn. God meant life to be joyous. A good sense of humor has never hurt anyone, and it has made life blossom like a flower in the desert for many. Someone once said, “No one has ever been known to die of laughter.” And Abraham Lincoln wrote, “If I did not laugh from time to time, I would surely die.” We should learn not to take ourselves so seriously; we should learn to laugh…

What do you think? The choice is ours. We can encourage or discourage; we can soothe or seethe; we can laugh or lament.

Why do we think we need to punish people? I saw a bumper sticker the other day that made me ill: “I don’t get mad, I get even.” Isn’t that pathetic? …Why do we punish people? Why do we punish those we love in such cruel ways? It is so useless. It is so senseless! It is much better to pardon, much better to forgive, much better to be a peacemaker!

The choice is ours – we can:
- encourage or discourage,
- soothe or seethe,
- laugh or lament,
- pardon or punish.”