"Positive Thinking?"

People have made positive thinking a god. Norman Vincent Peale made a bundle of money with writing a book called, "The Power of Positive Thinking." People believe if you think positive thoughts, good things will happen. I want you to know, I think being positive is important, but it is never to over-ride reality! For many who live by the power of positive thinking, those positive thoughts have a way of clouding what is really going on.

The question is asked, "Then why does it seem like the power of positive thinking works?" Let me show you why. God's word tell us: "What the wicked fears will come upon him but the desire of the righteous will be granted." (Prov. 10:24) When God's word speaks of the wicked, He is addressing all those who are not in fellowship with Him. People outside of Christ are wicked. For those in Christ, if we take Christ out of the picture, we would all be wicked. That's difficult for some to accept. "There is none righteous, not even one." (Rom. 3:10) "For all have sinned and fall short of the grace of God." (Rom. 3:23) "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom. 5:6) Just in these verses we have a picture of mankind. No one on their own is righteous! All of us have sinned and that makes us all ungodly. Ungodly people are wicked! Back to the question, "Why does it seem like the power of positive thinking works?" It is because if you get ungodly people to start thinking positive, it slows down a lot of fears in their lives! "What the wicked fear will come upon him..." You slow down the negatives of fear and it slows down the results! That's why it seems the power of positive thinking works.

Many make positive thinking their god! They believe that thinking positive will bring about positive results. Their faith is placed in the positive thinking! I know some won't like hearing that, especially if they are positive thinkers. Positive thinking has to be kept in perspective of God! The danger of living by the power of positive thinking is one can begin to abuse the word of God for their own positive thinking. For instance, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13) Many apply that verse from winning in sports to gaining an advantage over another in different situations. However, when one is honest with this text, Paul is speaking of being content no matter what circumstances one finds themselves. Trusting Christ is the only answer to contentment! Those made righteous by the blood of Christ realize their source of strength and its not found in positive thinking: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." (Prov. 18:10) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." (Prov. 3:5) "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:2)