“One way or the other, your focus will determine your reality.”

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2015-10-06) from his book, If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God's What If Possibilities (Kindle Location 2861). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Look at this. Mark says, “If you get into a hot tub after swimming in a cold pool, it will seem even hotter. And of course, if you get into a cold pool after chilling in a hot tub, it will seem even colder. It’s the contrast effect. If you lift a really heavy weight, then lift a lesser weight, it will seem even lighter.”

He continues, “When you believe that all things work together for good,” (Romans 8:28 in the New Testament says this) “it redefines the bad things that happen in your life. The worst day of your life can turn into the best day. There is a silver lining to every storm cloud, and every downside has a potential upside. When you interpret life through the prism of 8: 28, it gives you a quiet confidence that everything is going to be all right. In fact, it reassures you that the best is yet to come.”

He shared this, “Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.”

Mark then says, “Even when your life seems like a jumbled mess, you trust that the same God who created order out of chaos will make your life make sense.”

As Mark said earlier, “It can always be better, but it can always be worse. And our reference point is critical. When I’m going through a difficult circumstance, I sometimes remind myself that at least it’s not a concentration camp. That puts everything into perspective.”

I don’t know what you are going through today. But I do know that if you are a follower of Christ that he said he would bring good out of even the bad that you and I will go through. That reference point will make all the difference in the way you view everything that you are going through.

So how is your day going?

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