Thinking Beyond the Negative

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report... think on these things. 
Philippians 4:8

It is a worthy challenge to seek to overcome by the grace of God all the negativity that exists in the prison environment...

Prison, by its design and nature, can easily rob a man of his sense of self-respect and personal worth as a human being. Actually, there are parts of the correctional environment that are meant to be dehumanizing. For example, when a man comes to prison he is given an identification number which, to a large degree, takes precedence over his name. Also, you have designated times in which you must get up, stand up, get dressed, eat, work, and even use the toilet. They will also determine whom you will be allowed to call on the telephone, or who can or cannot visit you. I could go on, too.

But suffice to say, it is easy, therefore, for a prison inmate to sink into varying degrees of despair, even to a point of becoming very depressed and suicidal. Prison is not the natural environment for any person.

So this past week, knowing this, I have been attempting to encourage my fellow prisoners to not only continue to trust in Jesus Christ as one's Savior and Lord, but to also do what the apostle Paul says to do in his letter to the Philippian church. As a man who has known and experienced many intense levels of suffering, Paul encourages us to think beyond the negative, and to focus on all that is good. Amen!

D.B.