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Or, how to wash bad news right out of your hair and live by Philippians 4:8:

"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."

Bad news surrounds us. Dreadful images from catastrophes happening around the world scream at us on a daily basis: "This is reality folks! Get used to it!"

Add nasty politics, scandals, the glorification of immorality, and despicable crimes into the mix and the most optimistic among us, myself included, are finding it increasingly difficult to keep a heavenly perspective.

The fact is, we live in a fallen world and it stinketh.

Here are three, not necessarily easy, ways to freshen your mind and soul in today's "bad news" environment. (BTW, it's equally effective if the negativity is personal or relegated to the home front as well).

1. Clean Up by Identifying the Source of the Dirt.
If you're outside weeding the flowerbed in the cool of the morning, washing your hands well with warm soap and water is sufficient. No need to shower. Likewise, if you've spent a few hours beachcombing, rinsing sand off your bare feet is all that's necessary.

Too often, we go to the extreme. If you feel you've reached a saturation point with, say, the news, will banning all television and news websites for the rest of your life give you peace? Probably not. In fact, it may do more harm than good, much as divorcing a negative wife, or husband, may bring temporary peace but in the long run permanent pain. Peace is a gift God's Spirit gives us when we surrender to Him. Ask for discernment of specifics with your problem and then tackle them. Maybe not listening to news in the morning will be enough of a reprieve to prepare you to tackle world realities later, or perhaps skip late night reports. Same with a spouse. In love, talk about rationing a time during the day or week when you can both sit down and discuss things that are stressful for you, rather than random outbursts at inappropriate times.

2. Extensive Dirt Requires Scrubbing; Stain Removal
Inevitably, there will be issues that are more serious than others. Often they are localized: The school board that's trying to push through an offensive curriculum in your child's school, your boss—or an employee—who's not doing right by you, a back-stabbing friend, a controlling family member, a creepy neighbor. When you feel immersed in the mud, lift yourself up, wash yourself off with praise (try singing in the shower), find a scrub brush and scrub away. If necessary you may need a little medicinal oil for the bruises and scratches. In other words, once you're in the right frame of mind (clean) don't stop treating the lingering wounds. Those hurt feelings CAN be treated with a little massage and oil. Remind yourself of who you are in Christ and the power He has invested in you. Your friends have turned on you? You have a greater friend in Christ. Your boss doesn't appreciate you? God certainly does. Jesus shed His blood so that you could be whole. There's no greater stain removal. Remind yourself over and over that God loves you. Say it out loud. Shout it. The reverberations of those proclamations will loosen any lingering doubts that try to cling to you.

3. Put on Some Perfume.
Forget about allergies for now. This is all about allegory. Perfume has been used since antiquity for a myriad of purposes and represents some beautiful things, as seen in the Biblical story of the repentant woman "wasting" valuable perfume on Jesus. Scents are as diverse as the people they cling to. Find one that's you and wear it. If you're clueless, ask God to "give you a scent." Be a fragrance by being you; the redeemed you. Not the old you, or the you that the world has tried to pervert to its negative image. Every day shake off cynicism and replace it with the aroma of Hope and Eternal Life. Develop your sense of smell. It's part of creation; often one of the least utilized of our senses. Smell His love. Smell your worth in Him.

If all this is a bit too supernatural for you, well, negativity and optimism are, by their very nature, beyond natural comprehension. What makes one person see the world through the prism of pain and hopelessness and another through rose-colored glasses? Yes, life experiences play a large role in how people develop their world-views, but it doesn't explain the wildly different outcomes in people who share similar experiences. I have seen people walk away from unimaginable trials with their joy intact while others have been embittered by the very same crisis.

The bottom line is, if you want the joy of the Lord—the Peace that passes all understanding—you can have it. Regardless of your circumstances. Determine to go after it. Claim what God has for you and don't let go. And the next time you feel yourself getting slimed by the world—stop, pray, and grab a washcloth.

There are too many references in the Bible to water and its profound symbolism in our lives for me to quote here. Just jump in. The water's fine!

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Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
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