“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 NKJV
Did you ever notice how one bit of bad news can overshadow all the good news we receive?
I recall one year when my kids’ teachers passed out report cards on the last day of school. (Yes, back then they still received folded pieces of cardstock with grades written in ink.) My third-grader’s report card looked pretty good. He had an A in every subject except music. How hard could it be to get an A in music? He didn’t take tests on music theory. He didn’t have to become proficient on a musical instrument or sing a solo.
I immediately tracked down the music teacher to find out why my son received a B.
The teacher explained that in her class, students were graded on participation. Apparently my son was not among the most enthusiastic participants.
At that moment, I had a choice. I could congratulate my son for his good grades, or I could express disappointment in the one area where he fell short.
My response was probably somewhere in the middle—congratulating him, then reminding him of the importance of participation.
But how many of us focus on one tiny item of bad news and ignore the numerous good things surrounding us? (I’ll be the first to raise my hand.)
- The one low grade in a list of stellar marks.
- The one critical remark drifting in a sea of compliments.
- The one mistake in an otherwise successful venture.
- And when all is going well, we focus on the one thing that might go wrong.
A Good Report
If we spend too much time listening to the voices in our culture, it’s easy to be caught up in a cyclone of negativity. But the Bible tells us instead to meditate on the good things: things that are noble and lovely and “of good report.”
The Greek word translated “of good report” is euphēmos. It means “well spoken-of, reputable,” or “things spoken of in a kindly spirit, with good will to others.” Some versions of the Bible translate the word as “admirable” or “commendable.”
Focusing on the Good News
Have you received a good report lately? I thought about that question, and this is what I realized:
- I went through the day without an earthquake, flood, or natural disaster. In fact, meteorologists forecasted rain, but not a drop fell on me.
- A friend had an accident, but she is uninjured.
- I received the results of a routine medical test. All is normal.
- Another friend who is going through financial struggles told me God has given her peace in her circumstances. He has provided for her needs for each day, one day at a time.
The Best News
Let’s not miss out on the good things all around us because we chose to zoom in on the bad. Let’s not waste another precious day of life fearing the bad news we might (or might not) receive tomorrow.
And even on days when circumstances overwhelm us, when the bad news seems to be written on every page of our story, let’s remember we haven’t reached the final chapter.
God is still in control. We’ve read the end of the story, and in the end, God wins.
So today, I’m choosing to focus on the Good News and to concentrate on the joyful, commendable, good and positive things.
Images courtesy of Maria, Elisabeth Arnold, David Clode, and Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash.