You and I Must Make a Pact

It has been said that the only people that find what they’re looking for in life are the fault-finders.  That being true, we’ve all had our share.  It’s easier to look on the dark side to begin with.  For every positive there’s a negative and, often, more than one.  Biblically, the propensity to be gloomy is part of our fallen-ness.  It’s natural to be critical, and we default to that mindset without realization.  If I were paid for it, ole Jed would be a millionaire. 

We expect good and predict ill.  And the prophecies are self-fulfilling.  We can’t escape our defeatist mindset.  Others can’t please us because we’re always looking at their bad points, and this negativity stifles our own potential and creativity.  It’s a trap, and one that Satan wields skillfully.  Crushed dreams are a knife to the heart.  Outwardly, we manifest our frustrations with a knife to the back.

In a back-handed way, pride enters the equation.  All of us want to be right.  Right?  So, if we consistently predict calamity, we can take credit for it when it comes (as it always does).  This vindicates the prophet to the hearers as wise, and enables the wiseguy to say, “I told you so”- even though all they do is tell you so.  And they only have to be “right” once, but a negative person is “right” a lot.  But that doesn’t make it right.

If people are going to be positive, it will have to be intentional.  It won’t happen accidentally because it’s not the default setting.  It will have to be intentional because a lot of bad things do happen.  It will have to be intentional because everyone has bad traits and does bad things.  It will have to be intentional because the whole, wide world is broken.  There will have to be agreement on how we’re going to be beforehand.  It is not easy to be positive in a storm. 

The idea behind the handshake is that showing a person one’s open hand reveals no weapon therein and, thus, no harmful intentions.  It also carries the idea that people are equals.  It is a gesture of good will that opens the door for conversation and understanding.  We lack that today.  Good will and understanding.  Our natural inclinations separate us from God and each other.  To draw close, we must agree and commit to it.  It must be intentional.  Let’s shake on it.

Sterl

« Go back