I sometimes stop our normal walk through the Bible when something makes a significant impression on me. And today we push Paul’s pause button.

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of being invited to the Netherlands by a friend. What a fantastic country and how wonderful to experience new places where everything works smoothly.

But I returned home with one major impression. I live in an amazing country. Yes, we have many problems and challenges. The Rand is doing somersaults, the petrol price has had some Red Bull and has grown wings. The land issue keeps us up at night. Our hearts bleed because of all the murders. But this is our country where God has put us. We have such a diversity of people, an asset and a gift from God. We need to embrace it.

Last week, Stephan Joubert wrote in Beeld:

 Somewhere in Beeld I read that South Africans have never been as negative as they are now. Then I remembered neuro expert, Rick Hanson, saying: “Our brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.” He meant that our minds are programmed to constantly focus on negative stuff. We spend more time and energy on the negative behaviour and talk by other people than on the positives.

 Our opinions are first formed by negative things, before all the good things that people do. Good experiences slip by unseen, flowing like water through our minds. We do not see hundreds of people driving well, acting politely, being friendly, or looking after one another’s interests. But when just one taxi cuts in front of us, then we’re upset all day long.

 If we do not intervene in our minds having a Velcro mentality, focusing on the negative all the time, our thoughts, emotions and language will end up being extremely bitter. The Bible instructs us not to become imprisoned by such destructive thought patterns. In Ephesians 4:17-24, Paul calls on us not to let our minds become rotten. We must allow the Lord to renew our thoughts, he says in verse 23. We must keep focusing on God. We must deliberately choose to see his handwork all around us, rather than everybody’s sin and mistakes. Let’s shift our thoughts, emotions and habits towards God. Otherwise we’ll end up with a Velcro head forever.

 Thanks, Stephan, for helping me to take a step in the right direction in embracing the diversity in our country.

Yes, we must drive the darkness from our minds by switching on the light. Only God’s light will drive out South Africa’s darkness.

Let’s allow God’s light to shine in our minds. Let’s live the light, because then God’s light will also rise in South Africa.