Part 4 (1/2)

Let's look at this problem more closely. The individuals mentioned above, who didn't get what they wanted, made one common statement: ”I deserved it, but I didn't get it.”

Too often, we Christians expect life to be perfect and for everything to go smoothly for us. We expect success, happiness, joy, peace, and everything else. When we're thwarted, we pout or complain.

Although G.o.d does want us to have a good life, there will be times when we must be patient and endure not getting our way. These disappointments test our character and level of spiritual maturity. They actually show whether or not we truly are ready for promotion.

Why do we think we should always be first while others have to endure a lesser position? Why do we think we are ent.i.tled to the perfect life? Perhaps sometimes we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. A humble mind enables us to take a back seat and wait for G.o.d to move us to the front. G.o.d's Word says that we inherit the promises through faith and patience. Believing G.o.d is good, but can we continue to believe G.o.d and trust Him when we don't feel that life is fair?

Satan plays with our minds. Most of the time, the evil one says negative things to us: ”You don't deserve it; you are worthless; you're stupid.” Once in a while, however, he tries a different trick: He tells us how hard we work or how much we're ent.i.tled to. If we listen and believe, we may begin to feel cheated or believe that someone has taken advantage of us.

When we don't get what we want, we fall apart, saying, ”I deserved it!” We not only get angry with the boss, the teacher, or anyone else, but we sometimes get angry with G.o.d for not giving us what we felt we deserved.

The big mistake was to say we deserved it, because then self-pity creeps in when we don't get what we want. We can take that att.i.tude, or we can recognize that we have a choice. I can choose to accept life the way it is and make the best out of it, or I can complain because it isn't perfect.

I think of the story of Jonah-not the whale story-but what happened afterward. He had announced that in forty days, G.o.d would destroy the city of Nineveh, but the people repented. Because G.o.d listened to their cries, Jonah was angry. ”Therefore now, O Lord, I beseech You, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:3).

Sad, isn't it? Jonah would rather have been right than to see 120,000 people saved. Our situations aren't usually that dramatic, but so many people would rather sit and feel sorry for themselves, listen to the whispers of Satan, and miss out with G.o.d than to simply trust G.o.d in every situation.

The secret of the Christian life is that we commit ourselves fully to G.o.d. If we surrender our wills to G.o.d, what happens doesn't make us angry. If G.o.d doesn't give us what we want and ask for, our faith is strong enough to say, ”Not my will, but Yours.”

G.o.d, help me. I often have strong desires, and when I don't get what I want, I get upset. Forgive me. Remind me that Jesus didn't want to die on the cross, but He lived in total submission to Your will. I ask You, through Jesus Christ, to help me live in total submission and be content with what You give me. Amen.

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No More Excuses Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has pa.s.sed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

-2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 ”I've always had a bad temper. That's just the way I am.”

”I'm a straightforward person. That's who I am, and that's how people need to accept me.”

”I call things as I see them. I don't sugarcoat anything.”

This list could go on endlessly, but the one thing these excuses have in common is that each is meant to justify the people being the way they are. It's a way of resisting change.

It's also a way for Satan to creep into our minds. The great deceiver tells us that we're not rude-we are just being honest, and people need to respect that quality in us. We think we speak the truth as we see it, and we're not cowards or hypocrites. If the devil can convince us that we don't have to change-that we're fine exactly the way we are-he has won a serious battle in our lives.

In fact, the devil can give us a lot of excuses for not changing. That may be the problem. If he convinces us that other people are at fault because ”they are just too sensitive” or ”they don't want to hear the truth and face reality,” we don't feel responsible, and we think we're all right.

Another thing is that no matter how negative we may be in our thinking, most of us wouldn't call ourselves ”negative.” We prefer words like logical, realistic, forthright, or candid. Not facing the truth about ourselves is part of Satan's deceptive work.

When I went through a period of extreme negativity, I wouldn't have thought of myself as being negative. I was just being honest. If I saw something wrong, I spoke up. I offered my counsel on ways for people to change. I could see the weaknesses and problems of others, and I was quite happy to show them how they could overcome. On my worst days, I found things wrong with all my friends and everything they did. I didn't have to look for things to criticize-I did it without effort. I didn't consider it negative because I thought I was merely trying to be helpful. It never occurred to me in my prideful state that people didn't really want my help. They wanted acceptance and encouragement, not judgment and criticism.

As I said, I never thought of myself as being negative-that is, until G.o.d dealt with me and convicted me.

I'm not trying to condemn anyone for being negative, frank, blunt, candid, or whatever term you may use for it, because condemning is in itself being negative. Instead, I want to help believers recognize their att.i.tude problems and help them realize that G.o.d is able to deliver them.

We start the Christian life as new creations of G.o.d. Our past is wiped away. The Christian life is one of change-of growth-of moving onward.

The pathway to freedom begins when we face our problems, and face them without excuses. ”Yes, I'm negative, but if you had come from the kind of family, I did, you'd-”

Stop! No excuses. We know what we were in the past, but we also know that we don't have to remain that way now or in the future. With the help of Jesus Christ, we can have our minds renewed according to the Word of G.o.d.

The most difficult part may be to say to G.o.d, ”I'm a negative person, but I want to change.” Remember that a negative mind produces a negative life. You've probably tried to change yourself many times in the past, but it didn't work. Now you can begin to win the battle over Satan's stronghold by admitting who you are and acknowledging that you must depend on G.o.d to change you.

Holy and positive G.o.d, forgive me for all my negative thinking. You want me to be loving and filled with Your joy. Help me so that Satan has no stronghold over my mind. Please destroy every negative aspect of my thinking, through Jesus my Lord. Amen.

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Why This Negativity?

However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellows.h.i.+p with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellows.h.i.+p with you]. And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with G.o.d) and about judgment.

-JOHN 16:7-8 Years ago, I sat at a table with six public speakers. All of them had been in the ministry longer than I had, but G.o.d had given me more outward success than the others.

As the conversation went on, I realized I was doing most of the talking-telling one story after another. They all smiled, and no one acted as if they resented my dominating.

Afterward, I thought about my behavior. I had done nothing wrong, but I realized I had controlled the conversation, and I felt the Holy Spirit convict me. Although I wasn't aware of it at the time, in retrospect, I realized that I had been rude and selfish by dominating the conversation. Taking control-that's what I had done. Perhaps I was insecure and didn't want them to see me as anything but confident and able. I may have talked too much because I was nervous with my peers. Perhaps I was just so full of myself that all I wanted to do was talk about myself, and what I was doing. A truly loving person is interested in others and always draws them into the conversation. I realize now that I wasn't operating in love back in those days.

Most of the time, I stayed so busy talking about myself and my ministry that I never faced what was wrong inside me. I felt a little nudge from the Holy Spirit frequently, but I never really stopped to pay much attention.

Instead of looking at our own shortcomings and failures, we often focus on other people and what we think is wrong with them. That's easier and less painful. As long as we can keep the focus on other people, we don't have to examine our own hearts.

It's not calculated, and I'm sure most of us are not aware of the reasons for our being negative. That's also why negativity is so difficult to deal with. We undermine Satan's attempt to establish a stronghold in our minds when we admit, ”G.o.d, I'm a pessimistic person.” That's the beginning.

Then we cry out to the Holy Spirit to search our hearts. Jesus said of Him, ”. . . He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with G.o.d) and about judgment” (John 16:8). Too often, we read the word world and smile. Yes, that's for those sinners, those people who don't know Jesus. That's true, but it's only partially true, because we also live in the world.

We-G.o.d's people-need that conviction, as well. We need the Holy Spirit to probe deeply inside us and help us grasp why we're afflicted with negative thinking. We probably know many nonbelievers who are naturally optimistic, and who never speak badly about others. Satan already has control of their minds, so he doesn't even tempt them to be negative.

Think of it this way: Satan attacks us where we're weak. Perhaps this will help explain what I mean. More than 100 years ago, William Sheldon began to study human body types and cla.s.sified them as distinct types. His research indicated that all of us are p.r.o.ne toward certain types of physical diseases. Those with the pear-shaped figure are more p.r.o.ne to heart problems and high blood pressure. I have a rail-thin friend, and when she gets sick, she comes down with a lung infection or bronchitis. She's in her seventies, has a healthy heart, and is otherwise healthy-but she has weak lungs.

Let's apply that principle to the spiritual realm. All of us have weaknesses-some of us are p.r.o.ne to pessimism, some to lying or gossip, others are by nature more deceptive. It's not which person is worse, because all of us have our own weaknesses to conquer. We need the Holy Spirit to point out these shortcomings. Just because those are the natural places for Satan's attacks doesn't mean we can do nothing about them. Only as the Spirit convicts us can He deliver us from satanic attacks. That's why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit-the Helper-because He helps us in our vulnerable places.

Holy Spirit of G.o.d, forgive me for thinking I can deliver myself. Don't allow Satan to take advantage of my vulnerability, but deliver me so that I may be more fully given to You and used by You. I ask this through the name of my Savior, Jesus. Amen.

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