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Tuesday Morning Epistles
Welcome to "Tuesday Mornings," a smog-free way to begin a
new day. We've been saying it for more than three years, and
we still say it: We are committed to encourage Christians
wherever they live and work. And you're next!
Positive people are like home-run hitters in baseball. They
can turn a loss into a win—a gloomy day into a glorious day.
One of America's most prolific communicators of positive
thinking was the late Norman Vincent Peale. His ministry was
characterized by good news. Here is one of his thoughts that
will brighten your day:
"Yesterday ended last night. Learn the gift of
forgetting, and move on."
I read somewhere that "negative thinking gives a
small problem a very big shadow." That's true, isn't it?
Negative people cast a pall on everyone around them. One
negative voice can chill an audience of thousands. If I am
to err, let me err on the side of the positive, not the
negative. This week's "TM" is entitled, "Pound the
Positive." It's about one baseball manager's commitment to
encourage his players with positive reinforcement, not to
berate them when they fail to measure up to his high
standards. But the main message is all about pounding the
positive things in life, and fixing the negatives.
Continue reading whenever you are ready, and then make this
week the most positive week of the month. If you are able to
accomplish this, write to me and tell me about it. In a
hundred words or less.
Tom Barnard
A Senior Encourager
________________________________________________________________ “Pound the Positives” Tom Barnard
erry Francona is manager of the Boston Red Sox. Almost everyone who follows sports knows that. They also know that Francona led the Red Sox to the baseball world championship in 2004 where they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games to win the World Series. Sports fans will also remember that the Red Sox did not repeat in ’05 and faltered late in the season in 2006. What killed the ‘06 season was a 20-day stretch in August when they lost five straight to the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. The Red Sox never caught up.
After the sweep by the Yankees, the Red Sox headed west to play in Anaheim. The manager gathered his team together—not to berate them for their poor play against the Yankees, but to tell them that he still believed in them. Later he told a reporter, “We’re just going to make sure we continue to pound the positives and fix the negatives. We’re going to do the best we can.”
I love that expression—“pound the positives and fix the negatives.” Sounds to me like a formula for long-term success. The old “eliminate the negative” line worked in a popular song years ago, but it doesn’t work with professional athletes today. “Fixing” the negatives is a better strategy.
Fixing something that is broken takes expertise, a good plan, and time. Someone has said, “If a problem takes a year to develop, it will probably take a year to correct.” Quick fixes may work for super glue, but there’s no instant fix for damaged relationships and hurting people. Forgiveness, apologies, prayer, and grace are the ingredients to correct a negative situation.
Why pound the positives? Have you read the news headlines lately? The secular world is a pessimistic place. Unbelief is rampant there. Hope is not in the vocabulary of the secularist. Faith is non-existent. Gloom is eternal. Skepticism rules. Indifference is a close second. In this kind of world, the minority opinion is often the best opinion. Criticize leadership, and you will have a following. But your destination is uncertain. In a negative environment, a positive voice is needed. People deserve to see positive things ahead. It doesn’t just happen by accident. Expertise, a good plan, and time will win.
Why fix the negatives? They won’t fix themselves. Left unchallenged, negativism gives birth to more negativism. If not checked, it takes over. It chokes creativity. The past is always the point of reference; the future is ridiculed. Grid-lock is the language of negativism. Individuals, families, and churches that allow negativism to rule will bring progress to a halt. Someone said the last seven words of a dying organization are, “We never did it that way before.” Some church boards even think that way.
On the other hand, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most encouraging word ever spoken. Jesus said of his followers, “You are the light of the world.” The Great Commission is the rallying cry of the Church. Wesley had it right when he said, “The world is my parish.” How big is that vision? You can’t even see the beginning of it from here.
Some of the most empowering words spoken by Jesus are these from John 16:33:
“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
I believe it was his way of “pounding the positives.” Now it’s your turn. If it works, don’t fix it. But if it is broken, create a plan, recruit great people, and give yourself time. God will provide the rest. |