By QuaWanna Bannarbie

Remember the saying, “Good news travels fast; bad news travels faster?”

If your afternoons are anything like mine, you likely get to experience this belief whenever a loved one walks through the door with an announcement that describes their day. I look forward to these moments. It gives me a glimpse into what I missed while they were away.

I have learned to prepare myself for afternoon arrivals. When my husband and I were newlyweds, I used a rather unique way to greet him when he would get home from work. I memorized the scripture verse of Isaiah 52:7. It states:

“How beautiful upon the mountains

Are the feet of him who brings good news,

Who proclaims peace,

Who brings glad tidings of good things,

Who proclaims salvation,

Who says to Zion,

‘Your God reigns!’” New King James Version (NKJV)

He had long days working onboard the aircraft carrier. His coming home was good news enough to me. Like most wives, I followed my welcome greeting with the question, “How was your day?”

The rule in my house is that you cannot share a negative aspect of your day until you have first shared something good that happened. I made the rule. I suppose I am a bit like the Wicked Witch of the movie “The Wiz” — Don’t nobody bring me no bad news.

The news coverage each day is filled with grim stories. It is enough to make you want to keep the television off. I feel like we hear enough bad news that I celebrate the times when someone has a good report to share.

If I pick up the phone and I notice a hint of merriment in the caller’s initial dialogue, I get excited. Whenever my friends have an event in their life that deserves a moment of Kool and the Gang song lyrics “Celebrate Good Times, Come On,” I am the one they call. I think I have a telephone praise party every week with one friend in particular. She is always sharing her praise reports. Even when she is having a rough week, she has something good to tell me. When she reveals how God is working in her life, it affirms that God is in the blessing business. We all have a reason to share the good news. He can surely do more than we could ever ask or think.

It is more than just sharing a testimony. We need more of us to bring the good news. We need more of us who come through the door with a pronouncement of glad tidings. I am reminded of the words of the spiritual director of Allen Temple Baptist Church, Ineda Adesanya. She answered the question, Spirituality: What does it mean to you?

“I am a practical theologian. This means that I want to see theology in practice, in action! It is one thing to talk about good news, and another to be and do good news.”

Her words cause me to believe that more than just sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ — which is the good news — we are to be the gospel of Jesus Christ. His work in our lives and our lives doing His work is good news.

It is a season for praise reports and congratulations. Awards, scholarships and new beginnings are taking place all around us. We should not fall into the belief that because these things are not happening in our lives at the moment that we do not have anything good going on.

Sometimes, I just tell a stranger that Jesus loves them. 1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us that we labor not in vain. If whatever you do for God will last, then surely whatever you do for God will travel. Be the good tidings.

QuaWanna Bannarbie is an adjunct professor of nonprofit leadership and management with Indiana Wesleyan University, National and Global. Her children attend Suffolk Public Schools. Connect with her via Twitter @QNikki_Notes.