Negativity is an ineffective ways for dealing with stress and sin. When we're negative we feel bad. We project and blame others. We try to be perfect. We expect others to be perfect. We idealize ourselves. We idealize others. We run from it in compulsive behaviors. We complain and complain! These are all ways that we deny - rather than accept and deal with - the reality that goodness and badness are both a part of ourselves, others, and the world we live in.
God says to us in his Word, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). This is living with a positive-minded faith in Christ. The only way we can live this way is to live by the attitude that the Apostle Paul opens Romans 12 with, "In view of God's mercy."
Many people have trouble receiving, internalizing, metabolizing, and relying upon God's goodness. Maybe you're one of them. When you look in the mirror you feel bad. This hurts you and others. For God's grace to flow freely through you in your way of dealing with life and in your relationships with others it has to get in you.
To not experience God's grace in your heart is to struggle with guilt and shame. If this is you then probably your feelings of personal badness have a long history. Maybe you were abused or neglected as a child. Maybe you grew up in an alcoholic home. Maybe you felt that your parents weren't pleased with you no matter how hard you tried to do good. Maybe you've just felt lost in this world, like nobody really understands you.
Or maybe your shame is tied to sinful things you've done. Ways that you've violated God and others and your own self.
If you feel bad about yourself then you need to learn to open your heart to God's mercy and grace, to see yourself as he does: forgiven, loved, being transformed. In other words, God's goodness needs to overcome the badness inside you.
David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Psalm 16 said, "As for the saints who are in the land they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight."
The Apostle Paul said the same thing: As you trust in Christ you are a GLORIOUS ONE. You're created in God's image. Yes, you've sinned, but you've been forgiven, redeemed, and Christ is at work transforming you with ever increasing glory:
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Do you believe this? I don't think you do! I want you to listen to Jesus' words: "You are the light of the world." (Matthew 5:14). YOU are the light of the world. Yes, YOU.
I know you're thinking, "Jesus is the light of the world." Yes, he is, but he's also given his light to you to shine through you. If you don't shine your light in your world where you are then it'll be dark in that place. Other people who need God's light through you will miss out.
So turn to the person next to you as you're reading these words and say, "You are the light of the world!"
We all need to receive God's grace - his kindness to us and his affirmations of his goodness in us - through one another as Christ's Ambassadors. This helps us to discern and trust in his grace as it's revealed to us through his Word, the sacraments, spiritual disciplines, and nature.
When you finish this article I want you to practice this. Look in the mirror. Smile. And say out loud Jesus' words to yourself: "You are the light of the world!"
For some of you this will be really hard. You'll laugh. You'll feel awkward. Maybe you'll cry. You need to practice this. Meditate on God's grace to you. Memorize and pray over Scriptures. Get with grace-giving friends and take risks of trust and work at internalizing his goodness. Have a blessed day!
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