Right Thinkin

How would you respond to this situation? You are in a hurry to go meet a person and get into your car and it won’t start! Do you say “(Explicit word) this always happens to me, it figures – it’s always something!” or do you say “Well I will just call and tell them we can meet another day, I guess I get to stay home today.” The difference is striking, one person is negative the other positive.

So how negative are you as a person? When things don’t go your way, what is your typical reaction? Each of us has negative situations that we go through on a daily basis, but what happens to you verses what happens in you is quite a different matter. Often we allow that which is external to become a part of us and we become negative in our thinking.

You will never change your life until you change the way you think.

This statement should bring us hope that no matter how negative we are, that we can change those negative thought patterns. “The hardest part of being set free from negativism is facing the truth and saying, “I’m a negative person, and I want to change. I can’t change myself, but I believe God will change me as I trust Him.”” (Joyce Meyer)

Usually this process takes time and our return to the more familiar ways of being negative during that time can breed discouragement. But the Bible tells us “God has begun a good work in me, and He is well able to bring it to full completion.” (Philippians 1:6).

So where do I start? Here are few things to chew on:

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to you each time you give into being negative. As a new creation you don’t have to allow the old way of doing things to be the standard. According to God’s word your mind can and will be renewed each day, but you have to submit your actions to God. That is why Paul said we have to be “IN CHRIST”. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17)
   

2. Remember it will take time. Some of our habitual avenues are not so easily removed. Don’t give up, stick to the process the Holy Spirit is taking you through. God is capable and powerful enough to bring victory! (See Galatians 6:9)

3. Trust in God. That is why point number 2 exists. I have met people who think things like “well if He was REALLY God he could just take this away from me”. Yes let me tell you He can and often does, but to those things that remain they are a test of trust in Him. It builds your relationship with God. (See Psalm 9:10)

Remember a negative person is no fun to be around. There is a “heaviness” about that person, like no matter how many positive things happen they can and often always point out the one thing that went wrong. Because of what Jesus has done for us we don’t have to be that person that nobody really wants to be around. And we can like being around ourselves!

The change can happen, you can do it, expect that change, live in hope, see things the way God sees them and you will begin to see the change!