“Think positive!” “I am strong!” “Believe in yourself!” Ever heard these? I’ve been reflecting on the idea of positive thinking and self-affirmation. While there is some real value in having a positive mindset, many of the quotes and statements that I come across just don’t sit well with me. The Bible gives us clear guidelines on how we should think: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) Sometimes statements of “positive thinking," particularly statements of self-affirmation, just flat out aren’t true. Why should I fill my mind with lies, even if they’re positive? To counter this, I set out on a quest to find some statements of truth based upon Scripture on which to reflect and mediate. As I poured over Scripture passages looking for true statements that proclaim our worth, importance, purpose, and anything else we might want to tell ourselves to increase our confidence and self-esteem, something quickly became very clear to me: According to God, it’s not about me. It’s all about Him. Let me explain. The Bible certainly teaches that we are valued and have worth in the eyes of God, but our worth, beauty, and importance are not the focus of Scripture; if we try and make it all about us, we will quickly become powerless in that line of thinking. The reason we have our worth, beauty, and importance is completely based on Christ and what He has done for us. The focus of Scripture is on Jesus, His beauty, His power, His widsom, His love, etc. The Bible strongly discourages us from propping ourselves up in our own mind. Biblical thinking is actually quite counter-intuitive and often goes against what society tells us to think and believe. The world tells us to believe in ourselves, be strong, take pride in ourselves, etc. But consider the following:
With statements like these, the Bible teaches that God doesn't ignore those who are weak and humble. In fact, He often favors those qualities, and He uses those people for His own purpose and glory. Worldly Positive Thinking in Light of ScriptureThe worldly idea of positive thinking generally focuses on self and is very egocentric. This flies in the face of what the Bible teaches. The Bible instructs us to think less of ourselves and more of others. We are to have a humble mindset. We are to die to self. We must become less and God must become greater in our lives. Paul writes in Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Be in the practice of testing everything against Scripture, and "taking every thought captive," (2 Corinthians 10:5). This way, if you're thinking positive thoughts, you can be confident that you're thinking positive thoughts of truth. The same applies to negative thoughts: if you are plagued with negative thoughts, test those against Scripture, because often times those thoughts are also lies. There is freedom in knowing the truth. (see John 8:32). Let’s put that into practice and examine a few statements found on positive thinking website: Worldly Statement: I make the right choices every time. In Light of Scripture: You know darn well you don’t always make the right choices. The Bible calls many of our bad choices sin, and the the only remedy for sin is to be honest about it with God and ask for His forgiveness. If our bad choices are not blatant sin, then they probably fall into the category of foolishness. Through the filling of God’s Holy Spirit, He will give us the strength, power, and wisdom to make the right choices every time. (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:9, Galatians 5:16-25) Worldly Statement: I trust myself. I trust my inner wisdom and intuition. In Light of Scripture: According to the Bible, trusting in yourself can be a dangerous thing. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful. Proverbs 3:5 says to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” We are to trust in God alone and seek Him for our guidance. Trusting in yourself instead of in the God who made you, is like making an idol out of yourself, and is not much different than trusting in a golden figure formed by the hands of man. Anything good about us comes from God: He made us, He saved us, He gifted us, He leads us, He empowers us. Our trust should be in Him, not in ourselves. (Also see Proverbs 28:26) Worldly Statement: I draw from my inner strength and light. In Light of Scripture: This is very similar to the above statement. Apart from Christ, we have no inner strength and light. Ephesians 3:14-21 talks about God’s Spirit strengthening us in our “inner man” and giving us the power and understanding that we need. Without Him, our flesh is weak. It's when we acknowledge that weakness and turn to Jesus that we find true strength and light. (Romans 8:26, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 8:12) Worldly Statement: Money comes to me easily and effortlessly. In Light of Scripture: If only it were as easy as speaking those words! God never promises us material riches, but He does promise to supply all our needs. The Bible tells us that hard work leads to increased wealth, and it also says that when we give a portion of what we have back to God, we will receive blessing in return (not necessarily material, but it could be). Some are blessed with great wealth for God’s glory, and others are blessed with simple means, also for God’s glory. We are to be content with what God has supplied. (Proverbs 3:9-10, Proverbs 10:4, Proverbs 30:7-9, Proverbs 24:30-34, Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Hebrews 13:5) Worldly Statement: I am smart. In Light of Scripture: For some this may be true, but for others, saying the words just doesn’t make it so. (Sorry if I burst anyone's bubble there!) We all have unique strengths and abilities, but for some, being smart just isn’t one of them. If you’re one of those people who are lacking in the area of intellect, and you lie to yourself about it, you’re only shorting yourself the opportunity to grow and seek out others in your life who are smart to help you with your shortcomings. While we’re not all blessed with great intellect, (and even if we are), the Bible tells us that any of us can (and should) seek out God’s wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Positive Thinking From the Bible Now that we’ve looked at some worldly statements, let’s look at some trustworthy statements from God’s Word that speak to our worth and value. These statements are focused on Christ and what He has done, not on ourselves, and they are words of truth, rather than lies. These are not words to psyche ourselves into being better, but are words that are already true, that focus our attention on the One from who we can draw our strength and wisdom. We can cling to these words without hesitation. Look up these scriptures and meditate on those if you need to fill your mind with positive thoughts! (The statements with the “*” asterisks apply specifically to Christians, who have trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.) The "Scripture Support" references open up a link to the full Bible verse in a new window. Biblical Statement: I am wonderfully made. Scripture Support: Psalm 139:13-14 We were no accident. God made us with His own hands. Biblical Statement: I am loved. Scripture Support: John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39 God said He loved us, and proved it by sending Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Biblical Statement: I am valuable. Scripture Support: Matthew 6:25-27 God cares about us more than anything else in His creation. Biblical Statement: I am forgiven.* Scripture Support: Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:9 While it is true that we are all sinners, God promises to forgive us when we ask Him. Biblical Statement: I am complete.* Scripture Support: Colossians 2:10 Jesus makes us whole. Biblical Statement: I am alive.* Scripture Support: Ephesians 2:4-6 We were once dead in our sins, but Jesus makes us alive with Him through His death and resurrection. Biblical Statement: I am a new creation.* Scripture Support: 2 Corinthians 5:17 When we give our lives to Jesus, our old self passes away, and He makes us new. Biblical Statement: I can do all things (through Christ).* Scripture Support: Philippians 4:13 Jesus gives us the strength we need to do life. Biblical Statement: I am a child of God.* Scripture Support: John 1:12 God gave this right to those who believe in Jesus. A Better WayWorldly thinking is self-centered and prone to lies. Biblical thinking is Christ-centered (or others-centered) and rich in truth. When you remove the focus from yourself and start focusing on who God is and what He’s done, and when you start focusing on how you can bless others, you will naturally become a better person because of what He does in your life. Consider the attitude of Jesus, written about in Philippians 2:3-11: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Instead of telling yourself how great you are and how much you can do, focus your thoughts on Jesus and how great He is and what He's done. Strive to be like Him. Embrace what He has already given you and walk according to His Spirit.
2 Comments
Tammy
10/28/2016 04:06:50 am
Great article!
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Jesus for Regular People
10/28/2016 04:48:47 pm
Thanks Tammy!
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AuthorFull time office worker, full time wife, and full time lover of Jesus. I'm kind of a Bible nerd, and I have a passion for finding ways to introduce Jesus in a practical way to everyday people doing everyday things. Archives
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