Have you ever said something brilliant or even stupid and wondered where on earth those words came from? Want to hear something amazing? Your heart is connected to your mouth. Thoughts and experiences stored in your heart come out of your mouth and directly impact your life and the life of others.
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart. Matthew 15:18 (The Message).
As a speaker and writer, I love words. In order to better understand the true meaning of words, I have more than a dozen dictionaries (without dust) on my desktop. My favorite is The Complete New Testament Word Study, edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. This hefty dictionary is an excellent tool designed to help English readers properly understand the full meaning of God’s Word as it was originally recorded in the Greek language. I often refer to this dictionary to help me grasp the depth and fullness of the Bible.
Case in point: the English word “heart” (from Matthew 15:18) translates to the Greek word kardia. Ah, now you know where the word “cardiologist” originated! Kardia represents the heart as the soul—the seat and center of human life. It denotes the heart, mind, body, and spirit as one, with the kardia (soul) as the controller.
In other words, kardia is the fountain seat of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors.
These components interrelate and produce:
- Positive or negative thoughts
- Positive or negative words
- Positive or negative actions
This is great news. Now you can quit pondering “Should I be negative or positive?” A positive, healthy attitude comes from within. It can’t be bought. It can’t be manufactured. You can’t inject it, transfer it, or swallow it because you already possess it. Moving from survival to stability involves not merely inventing a positive attitude but discovering it deep within. Based on your willingness to be transparent and honestly look in your heart, and then doing something about what you discover, you can transform your attitude while learning how to get passionate about what you do. The old adage “Is your cup half full or half empty?” reflects the relevance of a negative or positive attitude. It’s all a matter of what you see.
Interestingly, as we change our attitude, we see life differently, and life itself becomes different. There is nothing more hopeful to me than knowing that with a slight attitude adjustment I can literally change the outcome of my day. Ask yourself, what could your day be like if you began it positively?
Locked behind the bars of a dingy, dark prison, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:25). Talk about power-filled impact! Even the other prisoners listened to Paul and Silas. Read Acts 16:25-40 and see for yourself the positive effect Paul and Silas had on everyone they encountered during this prison escapade.
I believe the single most significant decision we can make on a day-to-day basis is our choice of attitude. Attitude is more important than giftedness, skills, and education. It can make or break a home, a ministry, a church, or a business.
Start today off right with a positive attitude–praise God, get on your knees, and worship Him. Then thank Him for loving you just as you are.
Your work-in-progress sister in Christ,
Jan