B (+) in 2009 must be more than the typical New Year’s resolution. Those usually don’t last past January.

This is a spiritual discipline. Being positive goes beyond what I resolve to do on my own. God prompts the idea, grants the ability, and effects the transformation. My part is to cooperate with God’s will for me.

As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “set your heart on things above . . . set your mind on things above”. Mine is to focus and obey.

Tonight I remind myself with these words. My wristband’s novelty wanes. Now comes the discipline of focus and discipline. Early in the month focus on the wristband came easily. Not so much at month’s end. And without focus on spiritual things, obedience rarely happens. After all, how can I cooperate with God if I’m not concentrating on “things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”?

Precisely because the novelty has worn off, now the real discipline begins– and God’s will finds fewer attitudinal barriers with my disciplined focus and obedience. Greater cooperation with God brings the hope of more certain transformation into a positive– Christ-like– disciple/child of God. May it be!

Until now I didn’t know that one of the properties of silicone is high reflectiveness. My silicone B(+) wristband has become a mirror. Let me explain.

Yesterday (Monday, 1/12) started out very positively and continued positively until a late afternoon trip to Wal-Mart. Someone had left a shopping cart in the only close parking place. How thoughtless and inconsiderate to unload the cart, then leave it parked in the middle of the adjacent parking place. That “grates my nutmeg” (translation: I become angry at such laziness and inconsideration)!

I pulled part-way into the slot, got out and jerked the  cart backward in righteously indignant frustration. I caught myself, thinking, “Hey, I may hit my car or the van next to me.” A young girl and her mother in the next to me vehicle witnessed my mild outburst.

After 25 minutes of shopping and I returned to find a handwritten note pinned under my windshield wiper. It read, “You should think better of it next time before you shove a cart at a little girl. God was watching you!”

Wow! I was shocked and dismayed. My action had been misinterpreted. In no way had I directed my frustration toward the little girl, who was in the van at the time. Yet, her mom thought I had, and that meant my flash of anger ruined my witness to that lady. I swapped my wristband and bowed my head in penitence.

This morning while meditating on Colossians 3:8 (But now you must get rid of all such things– anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.) the Lord brought to my mind several recent wristband-swapping episodes related to anger. What kind of witness would I have had on each occasion? It couldn’t have been positive.

My wristband has become a mirror into my soul, showing me what God sees. Right now, most of it isn’t pretty!

I must reaffirm for myself what I shared with you Sunday (1/11): don’t be discouraged, because these early weeks are the diagnosis phase. Now I begin to see the depth of my sin– how truly negative I am; however, the hope remains that God will lead me to “get rid of all such things” and established in me the attitude and character of Christ. To paraphrase Martha Stewart, this revelation is a good thing, or better a God-thing.

So, mirror, mirror on my arm, show me all the ways I harm . . . or something like that.

Since the January 4th kick-off of the challenge I am making it less than 48 hours before switching wrists– sometimes much less! The truth of my negative nature stares at me from my wrist, but one thing I can say with as much truth: I have consciously monitored my thoughts, words and deeds nearly every waking hour since Sunday. THAT is an improvement, even if I’m still 20 days from reaching my goal!

May God grant me the grace to persevere!!

The 2009 challenge is simple, B (+), or Be Positive: for at least one twenty-one day period refrain from complaining, criticizing, judging, holding grudges, nursing anger, etc, AND each of those days intentionally say or do something positive– encouraging, helpful, up-lifting, etc– for someone else.

The Challenge has three parts

1. Wear the wristband. Wear the B (+) wristband as a sign of your covenant with God and the congregation to take the challenge. Wear the wristband the wrist of your choice for twenty one positive days. Begin counting when you don the wristband and keep it on that wrist UNTIL  you say or do something negative, or fail one day to intentionally act positively toward another person. As soon as you catch yourself, change the wristband over to the other wrist and start all over counting your twenty one days.
2. Join the Web Community. Blog with me about your challenge experience. How are you doing? How often have you switched wrists? How has the wristband helped you to remember the challenge covenant? How often are you praying about your attitude? Who is your challenge partner and how (positively) accountable are you holding each other? Whatever you want to record about your experience. This becomes our positive community. We can encourage each other and pray for each other and congratulate each other (hopefully, soon!). I will blog once weekly, usually on Mondays. I will try to check and post your responses throughout the week. Be patient with me, I’m a greenhorn at this blogging thing!
3. Celebrate the Progress. As participants reach the twenty-one day goal, we will celebrate with each on in worship. Each successful disciple will receive a chip. Yep, we’ll celebrate as if we are a recovery group, but, hey, isn’t God helping us to recover from our sorry attitudes? We will not be patting each other on the back, but celebrating the transforming work of God in the lives of our brothers and sisters. Celebration is important, especially for something this important.

I hope you’re well on your way toward reaching the twenty-one day challenge God. With God’s help may we all reach that goal and beyond. If you haven’t joined in the covenant, I hope you will take the challenge.

We have a wristband for you!