How to stay positive in a negative world

It's been a while, but back in the summer of 2022 I posted a series of videos on Youtube and Instagram entitled 'How to stay positive in a negative world'.  

Are we called to be positive amidst trouble and mayhem? Yes, I believe so. 👉We are called to be different, to shine when all is dark.

The Bible says it like this in Philippians 2:15: Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

We are called to be bright lights! It saddens me when Christians are negative and without hope. I talk with a lot of people who find it difficult to remain positive when many things seem to go wrong, whether it is the politics in their country, the economic situation, or the spiritual climate.

And yes, sometimes world events and traumatic happenings can get to our nerves; but let's go back to the Bible again and again and find encouragement.

Realizing how difficult it can be to remain hopeful, I taped 15 videos with practical tips you can start implementing today. They're just two minutes each and the messages will encourage you and lift you up. I don't have all the answers, but I realize we need to rise above our circumstances... all the time.

If you haven't seen the videos, here's the link and let me know what you think!

What is it your faith prompts you to do?

I don't know how you get the topics for your blogs, but I often get inspired while reading the Bible, by sentences jumping off the page. I love it when that happens, it means God's Spirit is talking to me!

One such sentence can be found in John 17:4 where Jesus is speaking:

I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Jesus brought glory to His Father by finishing/completing the work God gave Him to do. Work on earth, that is. I used that sentence in my blog series 'Glory to the Father'. 

And that blog series resulted in a few more blog posts about calling. Based on the words in Ephesians 2:10, I sincerely believe we are all called to do something particular, here on earth that is. Some people find that hard to believe. Others think the works need to be huge works, earth-shattering stuff... you know, the works famous people do.

Small stuff, big stuff... it doesn't matter, as long as we do what we are called to do! The Bible makes it clear, it is hard to miss it. Let's take a look at 2 Thessalonians 1:11,

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

Now, if that doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will. Again, we see this sentence (as in Ephesians 4:1) that we should live a life worthy of His call. Our call is also to bring glory to the Father by completing the work He gives us to do. Whatever it is. We cannot do it in our own strength, He will give us the power!

👉... accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 

What is it your faith prompts you to do? Go for it, do it! Why? Because...

Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:12).

You have been called by God

In my previous blog post, I wrote that we all have something particular to do for God.

God calls each person to do works that He has prepared in advance (Ephesians 2:10) which I find very exciting. Shouldn't we all go on a quest to find out what it is? In the Bible, we see that age doesn't matter, circumstances don't matter, and background doesn't matter.

One of the tips I gave in my previous blog was to get inspired by reading the Bible, by the men and women that went before us. Such a man was Paul. He wrote in Ephesians 4:1,

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

He wrote this to the believers in Ephesus, not to a particular person. His urging and encouragement were general and we can take his words to heart, even today! 👉As a matter of fact, I urge you my dear readers: 'You have been called by God.' I am not talking about a phone call here, but about the mission He has for you.

Maybe you don't know whether you are called to write or sing or preach or start a business. No panic! The apostle Paul continued his writing with this: Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Now that is a calling we should all say YES to. The works God has prepared for each of us cannot and should not be done without practicing the right attitude. Who cares if you're successful but a pain in the butt?

We live in a crazy world where it is possible to lack good character and yet be successful. But God's standard is different. He does not want us to be all over the place, doing a zillion different things. We are called for something greater. Ephesians 4:4 says,

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.