Soul Restoration - Martin Wiles

He refreshes my soul. Psalm 23:3 NIV

Things appeared bleak, but my daughter saw them in a different light.

“You know what I’ve said about that black cloud that hangs over me,” I said as we plodded along a trail, flooded by a river of water from a recent storm.

“Now, Dad.” I knew I was in for a lecture. My daughter, always the optimist, had her speech ready.

“We dodged storms for a long period of time. We made it to the summit of the mountain and saw 360-degree views for ten minutes before the storms rolled in. God gave us a porta potty to stand in to protect us from the lightning and hail. And even though the souls fell off your boots, you still have shoes to wear.”

Of course, she was right. I sometimes look at the negative side of things rather than the positive side. Probably due to the home atmosphere I grew up in where my parents tended to do the same.

“You’re right,” I confessed. She had restored my soul, my attitude changed, and the remainder of the hike took on a new perspective.

The psalmist said God did the same for him. As a shepherd, warrior, fugitive, king, and sinner, David experienced many times when God lifted his spirit.

Defined, the soul is our mind, will, and emotions. But it is more. It is that part of our makeup that survives death and lives on until it is later reunited with our resurrected bodies. All of us, like David, need a little soul restoration from time to time.

The ultimate soul restorer is God. No person or pleasant circumstance can do what He can for us when our spirits need resurrection. Going to Him in prayer and reading His Word gives Him the opportunity to infuse life and optimism into our troubled souls.

But God also uses other people—as He did my daughter—to lift our spirits. Rather than casting more pessimism on those facing difficult times, we can speak words of encouragement to brighten their days. We might also have the ability to give them the direction they need to get them out of their negative circumstances.

Soul restoration ultimately comes through God, but He often uses us as His instruments.

Don’t neglect the privilege to lift someone else’s spirits.

Prayer: Father, may we be soul restorers.

Tweetable: Are you a soul restorer? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Throwback Tuesday - The Cure for Pessimism - Martin Wiles

 The Cure for Pessimism

What I always feared has happened to me...I have no peace…only trouble comes. Job 3:25-26 NLT

A glass-half-full to one is half-empty to another.

Charles was a pessimist. If anything bad could happen, it confronted him. Fate and the forces were against him. If his bad luck wasn’t caused by one of his poor decisions, then someone else had made a decision that led to his misfortune. The future was bleak. No hope now and no ray of sunshine ahead. His days dragged by, and he faced each one with a frown. Those who chose to closely associate with him were also affected by his negative attitude. Read more...

Tweetable: Do you see the glass half empty or half full? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Looking Through the Optimist’s Lenses - Martin Wiles

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NLT

I saw things one way; she saw them another.

Two weeks of late fall rain had finally ended. Muddy grounds, flooded rivers, and ill temperaments had characterized the southeastern United States for longer than most wanted. Finally, the rains ended. The forecast called for a week-long stretch of above-average temperatures and several days of dry, sunny weather.

I was glad. My daily late-afternoon walks had suffered. I longed to get outside, soak up some Vitamin D, and clear my mind. As I walked into a neighboring subdivision, I noticed an elderly lady with her walking cane taking a short walk.

As I passed her, I remarked, “Sure is good to see the sunshine.”

Her response perplexed me, “Yea, but it won’t last long.”

I chose optimism about the day; she chose pessimism. Sure, I knew another front bringing rain was due to arrive in three days, but I planned to enjoy the sunshine in the meantime. So I kept walking with a smile on my face and my eyes lifted upward at the cloudless sky.

I don’t know what type of weather characterized the psalmist’s world when he penned the above words, but it probably didn’t matter to him. Reading everything else he has written causes me to believe he was an optimist. Regardless of the weather—or the circumstances—he viewed the day as one God had made. That in and of itself was enough to make him rejoice.

God gives us the power to choose our perspective. We can see the sun—or think about the rain that’s coming. We can accept that life will throw difficulties our way and face them with a smile, or we can let depression, disappointment, and despondency rule. We can choose optimism—or pessimism.

God also gives us the ability to choose our attitude. A good one will attract others to us and to the God we serve and believe rules our circumstances and the world, but a bad one will shoo them away. 

God can help you see life through an optimist’s lenses. Just ask Him.

Prayer: Father, give us the faith to choose optimism, even when pessimism would come easier.

Tweetable: Are you looking at things optimistically or pessimistically? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

A Matter of Perspective - Martin Wiles

Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth! Psalm 12:1 NLT

One look at the glass determined my perspective.

The illustration is old but valid. What I classify a glass partially filled with liquid determines whether or not I’m an optimist or pessimist—and determines how I view life. Seeing it half full makes me an optimist. Seeing it half empty classifies me as a pessimist. Being the pessimist requires little effort. Being an optimist takes work.

The list of apparently negative things that have entered my life is lengthy: preacher’s kid, divorce, financial meltdown, broken family, rebellious children, unemployment, false accusations, rejection, betrayal. How I view those unfortunate circumstances determines whether or not I’m an optimist or pessimist.

Listening to the psalmist’ statement, he appears to be a pessimist. He needed help. In his eyes, the godly were vanishing. What made him think so we’re not told. Perhaps it was a matter of perspective.

As when the prophet Elisha’s servant awoke to find himself and his master surrounded by enemy forces. Elisha prayed for God to give his servant a proper perspective—and He did. “The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:17).

God wants optimists in His service, not pessimists. But how? God is omnipotent. He is all powerful. In the twenty-first century, young people are leaving the churches by the thousands. They’re tired of traditional religion that has no impact on people’s lives. The picture may appear bleak, but Jesus reminds us that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. While many are leaving American churches, thousands are going to church in other countries.

When it appears I can’t face the dire circumstances which are assaulting me, God gives me strength and wisdom to walk through them. He promises to be by my side, that He will never leave or forsake me. I am never alone. God’s Spirit—God Himself—resides in me continually.

It truly is a matter of perspective. How we look at life will determine whether we’re a pessimist or an optimist. When we look at it from God’s viewpoint, we can’t help but be an optimist. And when our outlook changes, so will how we face it.

God is in control of your life. Be an optimist. Face life in His strength. You’ll be amazed at how things change.

Prayer: Father, enable us to view life from Your perspective. 

Tweetable: How's your perspective on life? 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's Word.

Flashback Friday - Expect the Best - Martin Wiles

Expect the Best

She was a shut-in; he was her only son. And they were both pessimists.

The Carsons* attended a church I pastored. The mother had been a shut-in for a number of years. The son had suffered a failed marriage some years before and lived with his mother most of the time since then. He farmed, but hadn’t worked a secular job in quite some time. Most of their income came from Mom’s social security check. Visiting with them always caused me to need an optimism pill when I left. Nothing ever went their way…ever. And they didn’t mind sharing the stories of their never-ending unfortunate circumstances. Read more...

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.