How to Remain Positive in a Negative World

If you follow the news closely, you know by now that things are not well in the world. We get bombarded with bad news wherever we go. Whether you read the newspaper, listen to the radio or watch television, it’s all about the next divorce, violence, crime, war, droughts, floods, etc.

That leaves many people asking the question “what is everything coming to?” People are living in fear, thinking that everything is out of control.

This post is about remaining positive in a negative world.

World News Thrives On Sensation

Some time ago I watched a documentary program on television about top journalists. One of these journalists started talking about how they would go on a journey through Africa.

He mentioned that as they arrived in a country and the people were living in peace, with no real crime going on, or without being involved in a war or if there were no real disasters taking place such floods or famine, they would immediately pack up and leave.

There would be no reason for them to stay there because…”there was not enough sensation to be newsworthy”.

It’s easy to respond to a statement like that and feel offended by that attitude, but we all are guilty. We might not like what this man said, but there is much truth to it.

People want sensation. That’s what sells newspapers and what makes television-shows popular.

All over the world, we find people who are living in fear, suffering from high levels of stress. People are fighting against depression. Depression is dangerous for your health, yet stress and depression are being accepted as part of everyday life.

All the ‘doom and

gloom’ of the news is causing more and more stress and depression, yet what is the first thing you do when you walk in the door….pick up the newspaper or turn on the television to see the latest news. And then we wonder why we are suffering from depression….

But there is good news that will put things more into perspective.

Who Are You Listening Too And What Are You Focusing On?

I am not saying that you should never listen to the news or never read a newspaper. You need to stay informed about what is happening around you. But it gets dangerous when that is all you do. You get so focused on the problems in the world, the danger, the lack, the hatred, that eventually you get absorbed by it and it becomes all you see.

The devil likes making noise, and as long as he can keep your attention with the noise he’s making, he is going to make lots of it.

On the other hand, God is just as busy, as a matter of fact even busier. He brings healing. He is protecting and blessing people.

The Holy Spirit is always busy and He is never silent. He is constantly speaking to us. He is always teaching us and reminding us of what Jesus has said. But He’s never going to scream at you. He is gentle and He softly communicates with your spirit.

You Are Constantly Receiving Messages

Many people claim that God never speaks to them and they’ve never heard His voice. But it is unlikely that God is going to speak to you in an audible voice.

When you open your Bible though, and you start reading, God is speaking to you. When you attend a church service, and you focus on receiving a message instead of who is preaching, God is speaking to you.

Have you ever taken a new route on the spur of the moment? For no apparent reason, you just decided to take a different route.

Later you learn that if you have taken your normal route, you might have been involved in a collision. Or there was a major traffic-jam which might have delayed you. Hearing that, you think to yourself “it was just as if ‘something’ told me to take a different route”.

Have you ever given thought to the possibility that ‘something’ might have been God? Let’s stop calling God ‘something’ just because we cannot physically see Him in person.

When looking for a solution to a problem, you might get confirmation from your husband/wife before you have even discussed the problem with him/her. Have you ever given any thought to the idea that God might be communicating with you through other people?

The problem is that when you get so caught up in all the noise and the turmoil of the world around you, it becomes easy to miss the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t get caught up in the reports of disaster. Get caught up in the glory. Begin to praise like never before. ~ Kenneth Copeland

To Live By Faith You Have To Make The Word of God the Final Authority In Your Life

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that living by faith is a passive lifestyle. It is a very active lifestyle.

When you start reading the Bible and you study God’s Word, you’ll find that what is happening in the world today is actually no surprise to God. These events have all been prophesied.

Jesus said that we should see to it that we are not alarmed (Matthew 24:6 NIV). He carries on to give a description of these times and He further instructs us to pray and keep watch (be ready).

If we are alert and ready, we do not have to live in fear and doubt. All the promises of God are still alive and active today. But we need to pay attention and actively stand on those promises.

To live by faith you have to make the Word of God the final authority in your life. But to make God’s Word the final authority you need to know what His Word says, and then act on it.

It’s not just about saying a prayer at night and then to passively wait and see what happens. Pray the Word of God over your situation and then stand in faith, taking action according to what you believe.

There are many good things happening in the world today, but they often don’t make the news. When you start paying attention, you’ll not only find these things, you’ll start to experience them.

Lots of good things are happening. You just have to pay attention to see it. Click To Tweet

16 Promises that can be found in the Bible (There are many more promises — but you can start with these):

1. Deuteronomy 8:18 — Success.
2. Deuteronomy 28:1–14 — Blessing for obedience.
3. Psalm 23 — Provision and protection.
4. Psalm 91 — Protection.
5. Psalm 103:2–5 — Healing
6. Isaiah 53:4–5 — Healing.
7. Proverbs 4:20–22 — Healing
8. 2 Timothy 1:7 — Against fear and stress. To have a calm, well-balanced mind.
9. Philippians 4:6–7 — About anxiety and the peace of God.
10. Philippians 4:19 — Provision
11. John 10:10 — To enjoy life, have it in abundance and enjoy it.
12. Malachi 3:10–2 — Provision
13. 3 John 2 — To be prosperous
14. Galatians 3:13–14, 29 — To be blessed.
15. Luke 6:38 — Provision
16. Matthew 6:25–34 — Provision

In Summary

We are constantly receiving messages every day. We hear people talking. We watch and listen to the news. We see things, hear things and experience things.

But to which information do we pay most attention? How do we respond to the information we receive? And then, of course, there is that ‘small inner-voice’ that we often don’t listen to or just don’t pay enough attention to.

We all hear the same ‘stuff’ and we all have to make our own choices.

How do you respond to what you see and hear? What do you choose to focus on? We have a responsibility towards ourselves to make that decision. We need to decide for ourselves who and what is going to influence us and how.

You are not what you think you are. You are what you think. Click To Tweet

We don’t have to blindly just accept all the negativity of the world. Yes, we need to take note. But instead of becoming part of the ‘noise’ by spreading more ‘doom and gloom’, we can at least try to be part of the solution and do something positive about it. I believe that will make the world a better place for everybody to live in.

Originally published at jacoalberts.com on November 8, 2017.