NAVIGATING THROUGH NEGATIVITY
Turn on the news and it seems to be negative topic after negative topic. Negativity seems to be much of the worlds focus and a recent survey discovered that more than half of Americans reported that the news brought about anxiety, stress, fatigue, and even the inability to sleep. It is a sad thing to see the media place so much focus on the negatives in this world while the positive and uplifting events seem to slip through the cracks. Breaking news alerts are almost always centered around some devastating topic or just another evil brought about by the hands of the wicked one. How is a Christian to navigate through such a sea of negativity?
While man seems to be the source of bad news, the God of Heaven is the source of good news. The Gospel itself means “good news.” The good news of what God has done. He has designed a
way for us to escape the consequences of sin and the negativity of this world, an escape made possible by the death of Christ on the cross, and a plan that was revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each played and play a vital role in man’s salvation. Now, there is a negative side in God’s plan of redemption, not that God’s plan is flawed in any way because it, like God Himself, is perfect. The negative is what our sins have done, where those who reject God’s plan will remain, and where those who return to a life of sin will be.
“2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”—Isaiah 59:2
Our poor choices, our sins have created a separation between us and God, a separation that will be permanent should we fail to properly respond to God’s plan in time or should we return to the things that caused that separation to begin with.
“8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”—Romans 5:8-9
While man was separated from God, while man was engaged in the sins of this world, acting in ways that are rebellious to the Creator, Christ came, suffered, and died to save such people. This is great news! This is what should fill the air waves, the televisions, and social media feeds! It should be the good news of Jesus Christ that should fill our minds and our hearts. But focus is placed on the negative…So how does the Christian navigate through negativity?
BY THINKING POSITIVE THOUGHTS
“8 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
We must discipline our thinking and not allow the negativity of this world to dominate our minds, but have our minds dominated by God and righteousness.
BY HEARING POSITIVE SOUNDS
“15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”—Matthew 11:15
This is the first of several times we can read in the Gospel accounts Christ utter these words. The words of Christ may have been reaching the ears of the people, but many were not listening. And this is just as true today. People would rather listen to negative filth than the positive message from the Father. God has positive things to say and we must continue to hear.
BY SEEING POSITIVE SIGHTS
“2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”—Hebrews 12:2
Many people look for and enjoy seeing the bad, allowing sin to remain in their sights. We must continue to look to Christ and allow Him to guide our vision.
BY ATTENDING POSITIVE PLACES
“1 I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’”—Psalm 122:1
Many go to the wrong places in search of entertainment. What better place for the Christian to be than in the house of God? What better people for the Christian to be around than the children of God?