Positive Verses Negative

I find myself the morning slightly annoyed at many people in the human race...something that I have been working on is becoming a more positive person.  So I guess in my mind everyone else should be working on this as well and I just don't see that happening, lol.  I began to realize that sometimes my humor could be seen as rude and hurtful so I began to try and filter the things I "joked" about.  I still want to be a fun person to be around, but is the only way to be fun picking on people? I don't know, I am still trying to find a balance there.  I was always told, "I pick on you because I love you." Yeah, I guess every now and then about some things, but after a while of getting "picked" on or "joked with" about the same thing they do begin to hurt.  So in thinking about that, it led me to the thought of the person I am joking with may be tired of it too and I never want to be the person who finally hurts them after years of playful joking.  In this I have had to catch myself not to judge others who don't see things my way, make sure I don't become offended if someone does "joke" with me in this way, and learn to respond gracefully to it.  My goal is to lift other people up by encouraging them and complimenting them, not possibly bring them down by a joke.

Then another soap box that I too struggle with is just being a positive person in general rather than a negative one.  I would say that I am naturally a "glass half empty" kind of person.  So typically I can find what is wrong with a situation, person, outfit, whatever the subject may be pretty fast.  In my goal to be more encouraging I have realized that being encouraging and negative kind of contradict each other.  So I have tried to limit my complaining and criticisms.  That old saying "if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all" has always been a weak point for me.  Because usually I have something I want to say, so now I am working on it being nice.  Now yes, there is a time a place of critiques, but must our life always be critiquing others?  And just because we wrap our negative comment in something nice or positive, that doesn't mean the negative isn't seen or heard very clearly.   I guess my point is, I wish I could people lifting each other up more period, and not just saying something nice to get to the bad part.

As a Christian I believe that my life, words, and actions should reflect Christ.  Do I think Christ had a sense of humor, yes I do.  But I always believe He knew the perfect way to use it without even the possibility of hurting someone.  Since I am not Jesus, I want to be more careful with my jokes.  Another thing I believe is, that if people outside the Christian realm are constantly seeing us pull each other down and talk bad about everything around us they are going to want nothing to do with our wonderful Savior that we should be sharing with them.  I think my life verse this year is Ephesians 4:29, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."

Well I hope this wasn't too negative, I am very sorry if it was! Keep in mind a kind word can go much further than you could ever imagine!