In Romans 8:28, Paul declares to us, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

Most Christians refer to this Scripture often. We quote it to our friends when we recognize they are in a dilemma. We tell it to someone who is in tears and going through turmoil. However, I notice when I am going through a particular hardship, this Scripture easily goes out the door of my mental faculties. Recently, in prayer, I felt the convicting of the Holy Spirit. I realized I needed to change certain attributes of my character. I began to replay my conversations. I listened with conviction to how I answered the phone. Here are some examples: “How are you today? I am doing OK. I have a lot to do. I am overloaded. I am exhausted.” I realized I was not as positive as I thought.

Earlier in Romans 8, Paul said: “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear.”

In my prayer, I found there was still work to be done on my attitude — the preacher needed to admit he had fault. I saw in Scripture where I am of the “sons of God.” I am “led by the spirit.” Therefore, I began to fine-tune my attitude to be a child of God. I worked on my conversation. I started to let my light shine. After all, in Acts 26:1-2, the Apostle taught us: “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: ‘I think myself happy, …” Paul was incarcerated. He was facing King Herod Agrippa, and the first words he said were: “I think myself happy.” What if we peered through life’s prison cells we were bound in and answered the world: “I think myself happy?”

I believe our outcome is affected by our words. I have lived beneath the privileges afforded me by an incorrect view — I have not been as positive as I thought. Therefore, I made up my mind as Paul did that I will “think myself happy” and begin to walk in the blessings afforded me. What if we talked like we sing? What if my conversation sounded more like the songs we sing at church? How bad could church be if we started singing the songs of our daily conversation? Think about it and then change the way we think.

Let us think ourselves happy!

Crutchfield is pastor of Life UPC of Hinesville and a member of the United Ministerial Alliance.