Monday Morning Devotion-March 9, 2020
Eliminate the Negative
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
"You've got to accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Latch on to the
Affirmative. And don't mess with Mister-in-Between."
Those are the lyrics from a song that was popular way back in 1944. OK, so my Dad told me about it :). Anyway, the lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer and popularized by my uncle (not really) Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. It was nominated for the "Academy Award for Best Original Song" at the 18th Academy Awards in 1945 after being used in the movie "Here Come the Waves."
I bring this up because it provides a nice framework for today's devotion to tag on to the last two week's devotions. Let me refresh your memory on those. But, first let me point out that this is a stand-alone devo, so don't stop reading if you didn't catch the other two. You should get something out of this one.
The reason I picked the "negative" part out of those lyrics to stress is because it seems that to get ahead, make progress and sometimes even to be happy we are always combating negativism. It's like we live in a negative world. It often appears that folks are sitting on ready and just waiting to find something wrong to pounce on and say it's wrong.
Wow. You see, without even intending to do so, I lapsed into a negative tone to explain why negativity is our theme today. But, really. Whenever I post anything on my Facebook Page, and I post a lot of stuff, it always seems that at least one, maybe more, of my almost 5,000 FB friends will find some fault with my posting. And the thing is that most of the time I am just reporting not taking a pro or con position.
However, I do encourage folks to share their thoughts even though that can open the door to negative comments. That's life. There are faultfinders out there. We are just called on to love 'em anyway.
Now getting back to the subject. Two weeks ago, we talked about creating the best version of yourself (MMD February 24, 2020 "Your Best Version). We discussed how to ensure that you are being the best you can be day in and day out through developing a proper mindset. Then last week (MMD March 2, 2020 "Delete. Delete. Delete ") our discussion centered around just deleting those thoughts that creep in and try to defeat positive outcomes in your life.
Joel Osteen ("Think Better, Live Better) shared some thoughts on not letting negative things that are said affect our lives l. He writes: "When my father went to be with the Lord in 1999, I stepped in to pastor the church. I had never ministered before. One Sunday, after the service, I overheard two ladies talking in the lobby. One said, 'Joel's not as good as his father.' The other answered back; 'Yes, I don't think the church is going to last.'
Joel says; "I was already insecure. I already felt unqualified, and boom, another negative label was stuck on me. 'Not good enough. Not up to par. Inferior.' That's the way the enemy works. He would love to put negative labels on your thinking and keep you from reaching your highest potential. He doesn't fight you for where you are. He fights you for where you are going. He knows God has amazing things in your future, so he will try to discourage you, intimidate you and make you feel inferior.
Words are like seeds. If you dwell on them long enough, they will take root and you will become what was said."
Osteen points out: As a teenager Walt Disney was told by a newspaper editor that he wasn't creative. Lucille Ball was told she didn't have any acting skills and should try a different profession. And Winston Churchill was not thought of as a good student and twice failed the entrance exam into Royal Military College Sandhurst.
And, oh yeah. About that insecure Osteen guy who was going to cause his church to fail.
Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas now has America's largest church congregation and Joel has been named by numerous publications as one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world.
So, the first step to success is to eliminate the negative. Remove any negative labels people may have put on you or your work or your life. "The only power that a label has over you is the power that you give it."
So how can you beat negativity? Here are five suggestions. (www.psychentral.com/how -to-beat-negative -thinking)
1. Counter those negative thoughts by remembering a situation in which you felt assured and calm.
2. Keep your perspective. Things are rarely as bad as they seem at first.
3. Segregate the thoughts. Stay clear on each separate issue instead of letting them become a jumble.
4. Stay rational.
5. Look for the positive (remember the song says "accentuate the positive.)"
Those are all suggestions that we can either collectively or individually focus on following. However, we may find that negative thoughts still creep into our subconscious mind. What about beating down those? Do this:
1. Stop doubting. Do not think bad about your neighbor or yourself.
2. Be with positive people. If you hear positive talk and positive outlooks, then you will be affected by the positivity of the environment.
3. Use positive affirmations.
And remember to always accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and don't mess with mister-you-know-who. The evil one is relentless. But we are stronger because we have faith that our positive thinking will overcome those potential negative outcomes.
The Lord will be with you!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we honor you with our positive thoughts so that you may work your Master plan in our lives. Amen!
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