There is a wonderful and very familiar verse in the book of Philippians, and for the past few weeks, it’s something I have been reading daily. Here it is:
Philippians 4:8 NIV
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.
NIV: New International Version
My friend Robynne Miller, co-author of our latest release, Finding Common Ground, encourages me to take a good look every day at my part in bridging the chasm between so many Americans and decide what I want to do about it. Here are a few things on the list:
- Listen more than speak. Smile often—even when I’m wearing a mask.
- Greet strangers.
- Lend a helping hand whenever I can.
- Buy food for someone in need.
You get the idea.
Then a “what if” idea popped up one morning. What if everyone on any social media decided to post only what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy for one month? Might that make a difference? Might we find yet another way to find common ground?
When we raise our standards to share the true, noble, admirable…..might it lift the spirits of the least, the lost, the last and the left behind?
So, this has become my personal challenge, and I hope you will decide to pick it up for yourself, as well. I am aware that for many, this will not be a difficult task. You’ve been sending positive posts that make me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. For others, it might be a bit of a challenge. But if we open the challenge to our friends, and our friends’ friends, and our friends’ friends’ friends, we might pull off a revolution that will label all of us as, “Difference Makers.”
Let’s look ahead and begin our effort in the month of September and start a movement to build a community of folks with positive messages that will lift our spirits and help everyone soar.
Will you join us?