I wanted to share what happened this evening around our dinner table.  It’s a Sunday evening and I think I speak for my entire family when I say we are ‘slap tired’ (yeah, that’s a good ole’ southern statement).  This entire weekend has been busy and tiring but spiritually rewarding.  Back to my story.  Mom had gone to change clothes so it was Dad, Berta, and Bub (nicknames I have for my daughter and son).  As we were sitting at the table eating we prayed over our food and ended with the usual, “Amen.”  I immediately followed it with a sigh of “Thank you, Jesus!”  And I meant it.  My daughter repeated in the same tone and looked at me smiling.  I smiled back and returned my attention to dividing the food.  A few seconds later my two year old son repeated the same, “Thank you, Jesus!”  This exchange between my kids continued on for 2 or 3 more minutes.  They continued to repeat the same line over and over again and increased in volume and changed in tone.  It was actually quite cute.  And coming from a couple of kids that attend an evangelical holiness church……let’s just say they were gettin’ down with their praise!!  It was one of those moments I wish I could have recorded and watched over and over.  They didn’t realize it but THEIR praise was getting me a little stirred up spiritually.  There’s something about seeing/hearing children exclaim praises to God.  Whether they realize the power of what they were speaking you have to admit there’s something extraordinary about children exclaiming their love and affection for their Heavenly Father.  It’s so pure and innocent.  I had infected them with MY praise.  What had started as a simple praise unto God snowballed into something much larger.  Though my body was screaming for sleep my spirit man said, “I’m ready for another round….lets go!”

I realized something in those few little minutes. I have two options in which to choose from…..and so do you.  In most any situation we can choose to be the ‘infector’ or the ‘infected.’  They both come with their own list of negatives and positives simply based on the heart, mind, and spirit of the persons involved.  Let me explain.  In the situation I shared above, I was the infector.  I infected my children with my praise.  They were affected and infected by my praise.  My praise had rubbed off.  Though it may have seemed simple there was power in what those babies were stating.  Let’s flip the coin.  Ever known somebody that just down-right drove you crazy with their negativity?!?  Yeah, you know the group I’m talking about…..they complain about 85-90% of the time.  I’m being serious here.  Whether it’s a Facebook post, a phone call, email, message…the majority of the time they leave you wanting to say, “I love you but please just stop talking!”  The sad thing is I’ve seen these persons begin complaining and within minutes they have someone else complaining with them.  Before long, someone else has joined and it turns into a pity party.  We all know misery loves company.  Now, in those moments that person has become the infector and those who have joined the pity party have become infected.  That negativity has rubbed off.

You have a choice to make everywhere you go. You have a choice to make no matter what the task is at hand.  Are you going to be the infector or the infected?  Praise is contagious.  Sadly, so is negativity.  You can choose to be salt and light or the opposite.  It’s my prayer that wherever you go the environment around you will be affected……in a POSITIVE way.  And not because of anything YOU have done rather the God IN you SHOULD bring change to your environment.  Right now we are dealing with this worldwide fear of a sickness named Ebola.  Though I’m not sure how it started it has now made its way to the U.S. and most seem to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off.  Everyone is worried they’ll catch it.  What would the world look like if Christians ACTUALLY began stepping up in such a way that every time they enter into a room the environment changed for the better?!?  What if we chose to praise God so much and so often that OUR praise caused God to get a little stirred up.  He has already told us, “..if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  2 [Chron. 7:14]  It’s a promise to us all.  But it comes with some stipulations.  Are you willing to do what it takes to convince God to step in and move in mighty and powerful ways???  It’s time to start infecting people……with the right stuff!!!  Praise is contagious.  Spread it around!!!!