Positive Beliefs in a Negative Situations

Your beliefs create an inner dialog that you carry with you throughout the day. Some people are defeated before they begin because they focus on the wrong things in life. They focus on the wrong things when they’re examining the details of their daily challenges and that eventually carries over into their “big picture outlook” of life.

What you believe determines what you will receive in this lifetime. You act on the things you truly believe. A simple example of this is if you really believe you can’t – you can’t… even if you can. Once you talk yourself out of taking action, that’s it. Nothing happens. The truth is, the Bible says you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. It says nothing is impossible to those who believe. (Philippians 4:13, Mark 9:23)

Things just don’t happen, though, because we want them to. You have to take action on what the Bible says for yourself. If you do nothing, you not only get nothing, you end up what losing what little you had to start with.

Matthew 25:14-28 AKJV
(14)  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods.
(15)  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
(16)  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
(17)  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
(18)  But he that had received one went and dig in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
(19)  After a long time the lord of those servants comes, and reckons with them.
(20)  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
(21)  His lord said to him, Well done, you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord.
(22)  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
(23)  His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord.
(24)  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you that you are an hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not strewed:
(25)  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth: see, there you have that is yours.
(26)  His lord answered and said to him, You wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed:
(27)  You ought therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received my own with usury.
(28)  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him which has ten talents.

You can endlessly procrastinate about the choices you have in front of you. But you can see from the parable above, it’s impossible to face life with a “not to lose” attitude without actually losing when all’s said and done. You have to use whatever God’s given you. Even in the tough times, you have to do what you know to do to keep standing and keep moving forward.

Use the gifts God has given you.

In life, it’s easy to make excuses for things. We’ve all done it. If it weren’t for (fill in the blank), I’d be doing this or that. Some people wait for the perfect set of circumstances before they’re willing to do anything. But as we all learn from experience, the perfect set of circumstances rarely occur.

We really can’t say why God gave one man the five talents in this parable while the other person only received two. We can guess why the person with one only received one… but still, each servant had the opportunity to take what was given and do something with it. That’s what Jesus was teaching. Use what God has given you.

When you’re going through a test or trial in life, it can be easy to focus on all the negative things that are happening around you. Once that happens, fear inevitably sets in. Fear, the Bible says, brings torment (1 John 4:18). So you could say – focusing on your problems brings torment into your life. That makes sense, right? You don’t need a scientific study to confirm it.

Here’s the thing – you’re going to focus on something. It’s just up to you what that something is. In my own life, I’ve learned through trial and error how much better it is to focus upon all of the good things the Bible says belongs to us in Jesus. There have been other times I’ve focused on the news of the day and the opinions of others. Guess which focus point made life better when all was said and done? Hindsight, as they is, is 20/20.

Again, take a look at the inner-dialog you’re listening to throughout your day. Does it lift you up and inspire you to trust God and focus on the finished work of the cross? Do your thoughts fill you with hope and joy (Nehemiah 8:10)? Or, are you spending your time focusing upon your problems and lack?

Being sick, struggling to find work, having people taking sides against you – all these things will wear you out and grind you down if you let them. Thoughts of doubt, fear and uncertainty will come knocking at your door. That’s a given. But that doesn’t mean you have to let them in and turn the light into darkness.

I remember many times over the years when I’ve gone to bed thinking, “It seems like this situation is never going to change.” It was a fight to think positive thoughts of any kind. It was a fight trusting God when my mind started questioning, “What if things don’t work out for the best?” But like the saying goes, when fear knocks – faith has to answer. Fear is the absence of faith like darkness is the absence of light.

When you read through the Gospels you’ll see Jesus admonishing the disciples over and over again to have faith and not fear and not doubt. He slept in the midst of storm and didn’t understand why the disciples were so upset when they cried out, “Don’t you care if we perish?!” (Mark 4:40)

So the question of the day is, why are you afraid? What are you afraid might happen to you? Doesn’t the Bible says all of God’s promises are “Yes and Amen” through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Doesn’t the Bible say, “Greater is he that is within you than he that is in the world? If you replaced your current fears with unshakable faith that’s based upon God’s Word, how much different would your life be?

Whatever your fears may be or whatever negative situation you’re dealing with, you have to face it in faith. You have to learn how to trust God – moment by moment if necessary.

Maybe you think God won’t or can’t help you until you straighten up your life? If that’s so, why didn’t Jesus operate that way? Jesus didn’t require anyone to do anything except believe and trust in Him. Afterwards, it was God’s goodness towards that created change in their lives. Without God’s help, how can anyone straighten out their lives?

For example, Jesus never told anyone to “stop sinning” before He was willing to heal them. He went right ahead and healed them. Afterward, there was a case where He told someone to stop “lest something worse come upon them.” But even then, He said that after He healed them.

When there wasn’t enough food for the disciples and the multitude of people He was preaching to in the wilderness, He created the food supernaturally. And most of those people really didn’t care that much about His message. They saw the miracle, ate for free as much as they wanted and then followed Him hoping for more of the same.

People are inconsistent, unfaithful and generally messed up in one or more areas – but God loves them anyway. The Bible says He sends His rain down upon the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45)

So examine your attitude. The same Jesus who worked miracles back then is still working miracles today through the Holy Spirit. Don’t let a negative, defeatist attitude take hold of you. If it already has, don’t let it remain. Renew your mind and your thinking. You’re here for a reason. You have something of value to give. You can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Remember that the Bible says we have a New and better covenant with God that’s established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6).

You can get the victory over the tests and trials of life. That’s what you need to focus upon – winning, not losing.

Does it seem like your life falling apart? If so, take the first step and find out for yourself what God’s Word says about your type of situation. If necessary, take small steps. Start telling yourself, “I don’t have to lose. I don’t have to be defeated in this situation. I can overcome. I’m going to act like a believer and not a doubter going forward.”

And just in case all of this is new to you, it’s important to realize that all of this works because of the Lord Jesus Christ. That may sound religious to some people, but it’s a statement based in fact as well as a statement of faith. Jesus suffered the judgement of God at the cross so you wouldn’t have to yourself. It was an exchange of the innocent for the guilty.

Salvation doesn’t begin in the “sweet by and by.” It begins in the here and now. You won’t need God’s promises for healing, deliverance and increase when you get to heaven. All the sickness, demons and evil will be left behind on this earth when you leave it. These promises were given so you could overcome the darkness that exists here in this world in the here and now.

Once you get to heaven, all the tests and trials will be over.

2 Peter 1:4-8 AKJV
(4)  Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(5)  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
(6)  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
(7)  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
(8)  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

While it’s true we live in a dark time in this world, we’re here to bring light to people who are open to receive it. In many cases, you may be the only light some people have. So go ahead and use the “talents” God has given you to make a difference. Don’t compare what you have to what someone else may have – focus instead of the path you’ve been given.