For the past many of my posts, I've discussed controversial topics and displayed my opinion on how they interlink with what the Bible has to say. Many Christians today choose not to speak about such subjects, mainly because the opinions on these subjects vary from person to person. These topics are almost guaranteed to cause heated discussion when brought up among different denominational groups. Today, I'm going to talk about the one subject that most Christians (and even some atheists) can agree on as being a largely significant part of our spiritual lives: positive thinking.
Every day, everywhere, at every time, bad things happen. We don't really need to remind ourselves this; it's a pretty obvious factor. People hurt our feelings, people lie, people betray us and disasters happen. What happens, though, when we start to notice these negative situations getting under our skin more and more, and begin to find ourselves reacting more strongly when these bad things impact on our lives? It's only natural for us to grow frustrated with our lives every now and then, but over time, the more we dwell on these bad things, the more they begin to take control over our entire outlook on life. We might not realize it, but these occasional negative thoughts begin to bleed onto our everyday thinking. We'll start to wonder over the smallest things, "What is the point in all this?" "Does God really have a purpose for my life?" "What if God doesn't really care about me at all?"
Although these thoughts are nothing but poison trying to contaminate our relationship with God, these thoughts are not uncommon in Christians. We all stumble in our faith, and we all begin to question our value in God's eyes. But despite these thoughts being very natural, they will only grow stronger and more dominant in our behavior if we don't take the time to re-evaluate ourselves and figure out a way to remove the thoughts from our minds---FAST. Once the negative seeds are planted in our minds, they only continue to grow until the anger and frustration are so big we aren't able to get rid of their influence on our own. Although it might seem obvious, the best way to avoid these negative thoughts at all is to replace them with positive thinking.
While the Bible has much to say about God wanting us to be happy---I'll list a few example verses here in a moment---positive thinking also benefits our bodies in scientific ways. If we allow ourselves to dwell on the negative all of the time, just think about how oppressed we would be, psychologically. We don't realize it, but negative thoughts are a big---and oftentimes unnecessary---burden to carry. Some people, however, have more of a tendency toward negative thinking than others. In fact, many people feel they're better when they engage in negative thoughts. Despite sounding like an oxymoron, it's not so hard to believe: bad things happen all the time, eventually it's natural for us to accustom to feeling numb in response to negative thinking and not realize how harmful it is at all. However, thinking negatively leads to long-time effects and should be taken seriously. This can lead to depression, which is not only a psychological issue but can also become a physical danger as well. Next time when we feel negative, we should ask ourselves just how thinking that way is really benefiting ourselves, or anyone around us: When we think negatively, does it change anything? Does it make things better? The answer to both of these questions is a solid "no." The only thing thinking negatively does is make a bad situation worse by building up poisonous emotions.
What about when we approach a bad situation with positive thoughts? Does it change anything? Does it make things better? Realistically, the answer to both of these questions is also often a "no." Positive thinking doesn't always change bad situations, but then again, neither does negative thinking. From our own points of view, though, positive thoughts make dealing with bad situations easier on on both emotional and spiritual level. Based on this evidence, I would be led to believe that we would be taking an unnecessary weight off our shoulders by approaching things in a positive light rather than in a negative light.
Judging by the following Bible verses, I am led to believe that this logic is correct: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22); "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11); "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8).
God has a plan for each and every one of us, and each of us were given a different gift to utilize in different ways. Although we may get caught up sometimes in life, with work, and school, and every other problem that weighs us down, we have to remember to take the time to step back, put things in perspective, and thank the Lord for everything He has done for us. He has done great things for me, and I know He has done great things for YOU. It's our job to embrace that and have faith knowing this is the one solid truth in our lives. God wouldn't put us on this world if we didn't have a purpose, and He certainly isn't the one putting negative thoughts in our minds to blind us from seeing this purpose. It's not our job to compare our purpose to that of others; we are all different and are used in different ways. If we need help releasing our negative emotions before they get built-up, the best way is to open up the Bible, spend some time with God, and write down both the things we are grateful for and the things we admire about ourselves. If the emotions have already been built-up, it's OK to talk to someone about it, whether it's a professional or someone you trust and care about.
My fellow Christian friends, I hope this has helped you see that God has our lives in His hands, and it's up to us to embrace that fact and approach the negative thoughts that come our way with this promise in mind. God bless.
Danielle Forrester
