NEGATIVISM TAKES CUSTODY OF THE MIND? We must arise and IDENTIFY this CYNIC problem and keep it from taking CUSTODY and PERMANENT RESIDENCE in our heart and mind.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Life has a way that you will find that you are looking?
There was a young lady that was a neighbor. I watched her daughter peering into a mud puddle just after a hard rain. I inquired of the young girl: WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THAT MUDDLE PUDDLE? She replied, A DEMON. She would look in the puddle and run away? After a few seconds she would look again.
I asked her, WHAT IS IN IT NOW? Again she answered: THERE IS A MEAN DEMON IN THAT PUDDLE?
I escorted the small girl to the puddle and explained to her, what she was seeing was her own reflection. I walked her up to the puddle and let her see her reflection.
Later that day I saw the mother outside and I discussed the situation with the mother. The mother explained to me that there are demons and devils all around. They heard them and saw them. I could not convince them differently?
Why would a devil desire to be in a muddle puddle, I asked? Finally I just left?
I see Jesus all around me? There are angels camping around here!
WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHERE IS OUR FOCUS?
Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Proverbs 14:12 (NLT) There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
Proverbs 16:25 (KJV) There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Proverbs 16:25 (MSG) There's a way that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING? HOW SURE ARE YOU?
I read many years ago about a millionaire that bought a yacht to take his family around the world. They prepared for the many day journey. The only navigation system they had at that time was a compass. So the father bought the biggest and best compass possible and had experts mount it on the deck to guide them safely to their destinations.
One day the little son had been playing on deck with his big magnet. He had so much enjoyment playing. His father asked him to come up and steer the yacht while he ran to the rest room.
The boy had so much fun playing with the magnet and the compass. The needles would go haywire? The lad attached the magnet to the iron bottom of the compass.
When the father returned, the boy’s mother called him to the gallery to eat and the boy forgot his magnet attached to the compass. After several days of travel the dad determined they were lost, hopelessly lost? The dad could not understand he had been so careful to do everything correctly.
See, he was right, but there was INVALID DATA GUIDING THEM.
One day they saw another yacht and they pulled alongside. The father explained that they were hopeless lost. The professional captain boarded their vessel and immediately he saw the big red magnet that was distorting their journey.
Once this was corrected the cruise continued. Several days they had traveled in circles.
The father thought what might have happened if they had not seen the other ship?
DO YOU EXIST AS THE CENTER OF YOUR UNIVERSE, OR DOES GOD AND THE CHURCH?
2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2 Peter 1:10 (MSG) So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing,
TODAY COULD HOLD GREAT POSSIBILITIES OF CHANGE AND GROWTH, OR MORE OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD? BY FAITH?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
WHAT HINDERS THE MOVE OF GOD IN YOUR FAMILY?
MANY FOCUS ON THE DIRT AROUND THE ROWS, A GOOD FARMER CAN SEE THE SEEDS AS A HARVEST TO FEED THE COWS AND THE FAMILY.
ARE YOU FULL OF CYNICISM? DOES NEGATIVE OPINIONS DRIVE YOU? IS EVERYONE SELFISH BUT YOU?
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mark 9:24 (MSG) No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"
Will we change? Or will we just accept life is this way? Just accept the negativity? BE A CRITIC AND A CYNIC?
Is the glass half empty? Half full?
Are the clouds dark? Do they have silver linings?
Do you choose to focus and talk about the thorns or rejoice that the thorns have buds on a rose bush?
Rainbows appear to those that look up.
Me thinks that being a cynic and PESSIMISM IS NATURUAL part of daily living.
BUT WE CAN CHANGE OUR CHOICES AND OUR WILL TO BE BETTER.
Blessed is he that expects the worst, he will not be disappointed.
Pessimist may be right, but all the good changes in this world come from optimists.
1 Timothy 5:6 (KJV) But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
Does pessimists health suffer? What about high blood pressure? How about the erosion of mental health? Spiritual health?
Does negativity breed depression? Is pessimism contagious? Does it spread easily?
We must arise and IDENTIFY this CYNIC problem and keep it from taking CUSTODY and PERMANENT RESIDENCE in our heart and mind.
THE SOONER WE SEE THE SIGNS AND IDENTIFY THE COST AND THE RISK OF NEGATIVISM THE BETTER WE WILL BE.
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
BLOWING SMOKE: Often in real daily living PROBLEMS HIDE IN DARK CORNERS. Alcohol? Drug use? Isolation? Excessive appetites? Materialism?
Did you hear about the lady that was trapped by negative feelings? Her grandfather died of cancer in his 50’s. Her grandmother was 67 and died of cancer. Her mother was 67 when she died of cancer. Her father died at 62 with a terrible bout of cancer. She just knew that she was going to die young of cancer. She told everyone her family history of cancer. She told her doctor all the time you better find the cancer quickly, I AM GOING TO DIE OF CANCER at a young age. Well, at 52 she died of a heart attack from worry and stress about cancer.
WHAT LANGUAGE DO YOU SPEAK?
1 Corinthians 13:8 (KJV) Charity never faileth:
1 Corinthians 13:8 (MSG) Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day;
I love to hear people speak different languages. Even more than that I love to hear people sing in different languages.
When in Haiti and I could not afford and interpreter and I was with people I would pull out my guitar and start singing, BLESSED ASSURANCE JESUS IS MINE, I would sing in English and then they would sing in CREOLE, it was beautiful to hear.
Setting in Tel Aviv at the airport, a man pulled out a Taylor guitar and handed it to me. I said: WHY ME? He answered you look like a guitar picker. I started picking, after a few minutes a blues singer from Memphis, Tn. started singing: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE. Before long a crowd gathered around us. I heard people singing in several different languages. Wow, before long the Israeli soldiers gathered around and was clapping and dancing.
LOVE AND MUSIC ARE UNIVERSAL.
WHAT LANGUAGE DO YOU SPEAK DAILY?
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
I was in Nashville, Tennessee standing in SKYLINE Hospital waiting area. The hospital is on top of a ridge overlooking downtown Nashville. I was near the top floor enjoying the view while waiting on the elevator to leave. I felt something in my heart that I should talk and pray with an elderly black lady sitting in a wheel chair. Tears were rolling down her cheek.
I overrode the feeling and entered the elevator and when down to the ground floor. I started out and I felt so strongly that I must return and visit with her. So I returned to the elevator and whispered Lord if she is still there I will speak and pray with her. When the doors opened and I stepped out, there she was, tears were still rolling down her face. I sat down next to her wheelchair and started a conversation with her. She was from a distant city and she was there all alone. The doctors had just informed her she was terminal and had but a few days of life remaining.
We talked. I quoted Psalms 23, later John 14. We discussed a troubled heart, and Jesus said: Let not your heart be troubled! We talked and cried together. I call these moments a KISS OF HEAVEN. We spent about an hour talking and remembering. We prayed, I prayed for her, then she prayed for me. When I got up to leave, I walked toward the elevator. She asked me SIR, ARE YOU AN ANGEL? YOU TALK LIKE AN ANGEL? She gave me a kiss and I left.
THAT DAY WAS KISS OF HEAVEN, WE SPOKE THE JESUS LANGUAGE TOGETHER. SEE. LOVE NEVER FAILS. NO, I WAS NOT AN ANGEL? The words we spoke were the LANGUAGE OF LOVE. I ASKED HER, WHEN YOU SEE JESUS, ASK HIM TO REMEMBER ME. SHE AGREED. I never knew her name, she never knew mine… BUT WE SPOKE THE SAME LANGUAGE.
PESSIMISM IS A SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL MENTAL ATTITUDE and it is all about YOUR FOCUS…
Being negative has effects on every issue of your life.
I have studied that some doctors think PESSIMISM ABOUT OLD AGE MAY BE A RISK FACTOR FOR DEMENTIA.
WHHAT DO I SPEAK? IS LIFE ABOUT ME AND MINE? I HEAR SO OFTEN I AM SO BORED, LIFE IS BORING? WHERE IS YOUR PASSION? IS IT BURIED IN CYNIC PESSISMISM?
Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
ARE WE SO BORED WITH LIFE THAT WE BORE OTHERS? WHERE IS YOUR PASSION?
FIRE SHUT UP…
Negative people speak NEGATIVELY! It is their language.
TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE?
James 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
PESSISMISM: a feeling or belief that bad things will happen, a bad feeling that what you hoped for will never happen.
We have developed the thinking patter or inclination that adverse conditions are ahead and we will expect the worse possible outcome. We tend to allow for the doctrince the bad and evil will overbalance to joy and happiness in our life.
OPTIMISM: the feeling or belief that good things will happen, your hopes and dreams will come true. To be inclined that we anticipate a good outcome.
I was driving a group of kids on the church bus. A boy sat behind me complained the whole time. I pondered how did he get so negative? Several weeks later I was driving a group of women and his Mom sat behind me and complained the whole time? WHERE DID HE GET IT?
WHERE DO WE GET OUR ATTITUDES OF WORRY, STRESS, AND HOW WE WILL REACT TO SITUATIONS?
ARE WE A PEOPLE OF NO HOPE?
GENETIC ? Hereditary?
INSTINCT? INBORN?
LEARNED BEHAVIOR? We observe the behavior and pattern our styles because of what we see.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Did you hear about the optimist that was standing on the 110 floor of a sky scraper? There was a larger crowd
overlooking the city. He push his way to the front to get a bird’s eye view. He was so enjoying the moment, when someone pushed him and he fell over the building. He was flying and picking up speed. A person on the 50th floor had his head out the window and yelled at him. HOW’S IT GOING?
The man yelled to him as he flew by the window: SO FAR SO GOOD!
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
PESSISMISM AND DEPRESSION ARE MUCH LIKE THE FLU AND CAN BE TRANSMITTED SPIRITUALLY AND SOCIALLY.
Do we realize how this tendency to see everything in the light of darkness can suck up our energy, joy and hope? Then the attack jumps from head to head.
HOW CAN THIS CYNIC, NEGATIVE ATTITUDES GROW DAILY AND THRIVE IN OUR HEARTS?
I CAN NOT--- IT IS IMPOSSIBLE
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13 (MSG) Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
There is a kissing cousin to being negative all the time it is IRRITABILITY.
This will express itself in your words, your social media… NEGATIVITY WILL TAKE CUSTODY OF EVERYTHING YOU DO?
BLOW IT UP and then BLOW UP…
We can make mountains out of molehills.
WE CAN MAKE EVERYTHING A PERSONAL ATTACK.
DENY or FILTER, the human mind has a great ability to refuse to see the real issues and the real problems thus we can never correct the problem.
WORSE CASE SCENARIO
I heard a lady discussing her health. She had every problem imaginable. The doctors had given up on her. One doctor mentioned a problem, she said she had that also. The doctor said: ONLY MEN CAN HAVE THAT PROBLEM? She replied: My husband has had that two times.
CONCLUSION: BE HONEST, ARE YOU A NEGATIVE PERSON? ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPROVE? Are you trapped staying the same? WHY CAN’T WE GROW TO THE POINT THAT WE REFUSE TO SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE? Do you think you could grow to the point you say NOTHING CYNIC OR NEGATIVE ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON? Can you say nothing cynic or negative about your family? What about the domain of VENTING ON PUBLIC MEDIA? Well, preacher that is MY PAGE? Does that mean you are the only one that sees it? Do we speak and give credence to irritations, frustrations, anger, hurt, and life in general to NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND CYNIC WORDS? WHO HAS CUSTODY OF YOUR WORDS AND YOUR MIND? We must arise and IDENTIFY this CYNIC problem and keep it from taking CUSTODY and PERMANENT RESIDENCE in our heart and mind.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
