Staying Positive in Troubled Times

 As a little boy I loved listening to my father’s classical music recordings. One of my favourite recordings was of a German Jewish men’s choir who sang lovely German folk songs even during the Nazi period.

One of the all-time favourite movies is “The Sound of Music”. It tells of the Austrian von Trapp family, who were strongly anti-Nazi. They had to escape over the mountains to Switzerland to avoid persecution. What is striking in this movie is their love of God and positive human values. They were more for God and people than against the Nazis. It was their faith and love that drove them, rather than hatred of the Nazis.

They were determined to stay positive.

Baron von Trapp sang about his love of beautiful flowers and his love for his homeland.
Maria von Trapp sang about her favourite things. When she was upset, she would think about her favourite things.

When I read the news, I am shocked by what national leaders are doing. I have been crying out for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. I have seen God work miracles to protect Ukrainians. It is amazing that the Russians have not been able to conquer these people. God must be with Ukraine.
But hating Putin will solve nothing. He is what he is.

Valentin Silvestrov is a Ukrainian musician who fled to Berlin in 2022. In Berlin, he composed music, but not angry nationalistic music. He set the Lord’s Prayer to music. 

In very troubled times, it is so easy to become obsessed with fear and anger, but God is still God.

We can pray:
“Your will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.”

The Apostle Paul’s life was full of persecution and suffering. He was a brutal persecutor of the Christians and then as a Christian he suffered equally brutal persecution himself.
He wrote:

We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor 4:8–9 NIV

And in another letter he wrote:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

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. Php 4:6–8 NIV

Positive thinking was not invented by American writers of self-help books. It comes from the Bible, because God is positive and he loves you.