“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Here’s the thing about diets – nobody asks the husky fellow who gorges on cake and cheeseburgers how he does it. Instead, they seek out the fit person who demonstrates the discipline of eating good, healthy food. I’m the guy that loves a perfectly cooked burger and an icing encased piece of cake. But if I ate that every day, misery and regret would soon consume me. Nobody would seek me for nutrition advice.

It’s easy to eat junk food and not very impressive.

This is much like living in negativity. It is easy to be negative and, in the long run, it is not very impressive. For me, being negative is like junk food to my soul. It seems right in the moment and there is a sense of power when I do it. However, over time my soul becomes malnourished and my view of life fills with cynicism. I know this because it has often been my modus operandi. I can form a cynical opinion with ease. It has made being a friend with me difficult and even lead to the demise of some very valuable relationships. I have discovered that as people, we have an uncanny ability to pinpoint what is wrong with other people, the world, and even ourselves. If you need evidence, read Facebook.

The world doesn’t need more critics.

That is not to say that criticism doesn’t have a place in life. It absolutely does. Some of the most important changes in the world occurred because someone spoke up against the status quo. But I have no need to be better at that. My heart longs to be filled with good. I want to be disciplined in seeing goodness around me. I want to bring life and love with the words that I speak. My relationships could use a little more positivity on a regular basis.

I think I need a better diet plan.

The apostle Paul gave some wise words when he wrote that we should think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.” More simply “if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.” When I do this I feel better about myself, my view of others improves, and I can see God more clearly. This is a good M.O. A much healthier way to live. A godly way to live. What do you think would happen if we spent more time looking for what is excellent instead of criticize? I think that cheeseburger and cake would be way less tempting than it used to be. Pray with me to have eyes to see all the good God is doing inside of you, me, and the world around us.