That I may see the good of thy chosen, That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. – Psalm 106:5
Human nature is not drawn to seeing the good in others. Ninety percent of the news is not sharing all the good things humanity is doing. Ninety percent of conversations is not centered around the good things we know about others. Our flesh likes to hear the negatives about other people because it often makes us feel better about ourselves.
Seeing …the good of thy chosen… is a learned mindset. It comes with training and diligence of mind. A professor in college said me that, any time someone would tell him something bad about another person, he would immediately think of as many good things as he could about that individual. While his disciplined action was a kindness toward the other person, meaning the negativity would stop with him, he mainly did it so that his own mind would not become poisoned with pride or negativity.
…see the good of thy chosen… by remembering that we all need grace. Verse 6 of this psalm says, We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. The psalmist was sharing that sin was abounding in his nation, but he did not look down on his fellow citizens or exalt himself above them. He said, We have sinned… While our natural, human response to another’s faults is to be harsh, the Bible reminds us that someone else’s public iniquity is no worse than our private iniquity.
…see the good of thy chosen… by praying for others. In verse 4, the psalmist asks the Lord to remember his people. Any time we think of another Christian’s faults, we should combat those thoughts with prayer for that Christian.
It takes diligence and training of the mind to focus on the good. It is so encouraging when people overlook our faults and focus on the good. How often do we do the same for others? Are we willing and disciplined enough to …see the good of thy chosen…?
by Elizabeth Myers
