Thursday, September 21, 2023

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

Have you felt consumed by your pain? Have you ever been in such a dark place that every conversation takes you to that place of pain? You feel stuck in negativity. Sometimes the pain of negativity is more impactful than the original wound.

1. It is natural to be negative. You do not have to work at it. We are naturally built for a propensity to become negative.

2. Holding on to negativity does not make us feel better. It may feel like we are assaulting the person who hurt us by holding on to the pain, but we are only hurting ourselves. Each time we replay the incident, we inject ourselves with more poison.

3. Negativity is the antithesis of healing. We cannot do both. Either we move in the direction of healing, or we stay in the deep quicksand of negativity.

4. No one wants to be around a negative person. We may think that others want to hear our story repeatedly, but that is the opposite of the truth. It pushes people away, smearing our pain onto their lives.

The scripture says that we are to let the mind of Christ be in us. He subordinated his mind and agenda to the Father so that the will of God would prevail. If you are stuck in negativity and are having difficulty letting it go, allow this scripture to permeate your spirit. Remember that Christ always defaulted to the Father: his thoughts, and his plan, even to death on the cross. Maybe, just maybe, you need to die too.

PRAYER: I have become very negative in certain areas of my life, and I need your deliverance. Thank you for reminding me that I need to have the mind of Christ. Give me the grace to meditate on Your Word, so that my mind works in the way you desire. In Your Name, Amen.