I try to be a very positive person. This has helped to make me pretty happy even when times are tough. One way that I try to stay upbeat and positive is by looking for the best in others.
Most of us know people who are all too willing to write others off, virtually on sight. Without taking the time and trouble to get to know and understand them better, they make snap judgments which are sometimes harsh and based on little or no evidence. The fact is though, that everyone has good qualities as well as bad and we all deserve a fair hearing.
Life is difficult for all of us, whether it appears that way or not. Since the Fall, we are all broken images of the Imago Dei in which we were created. We are all less than human and we live our lives east of Eden – beset with difficult situations and circumstances which not only challenge and test us, but contribute enormously to who we are as individuals. We don’t always get it right, but we need to remember the purpose for which we we were made – to be God-connected, God-reflectors and Co-creators in this world.
Next time you walk down a busy street, look into the faces of the passers-by and try to imagine what they might have had to deal with in their lives and all the good qualities that they might have used to overcome life’s obstacles. Never mind their physical appearance or whether they are wearing grumpy expressions or whatever else you might usually use to sum other people up, just try to focus on how they, like you, have good qualities as well as bad. Do the same when you meet someone new for the first time, resisting the temptation to immediately think ill of them, and the world will seem a much better place.
As Christian illusionists we love to end our show reminding our audience that we were all made in the Image of God. We are all remarkable miracles and need to treat each other as such!