67E TRANSCRIPT Why sneaky negativity needs to go Truth says God positive Be encouraged
www.crazygoodgod.org
Nancy Teague
nancy@crazygoodgod.org
May 17, 2023
Hey there, welcome to Crazy Good God Podcast! I’m Nancy Teague and thanks for joining me.
00:16 Have you ever seen negativity as sneaky? Does negativity sneak up on you? It can me. Once I realize I’m going down negative I purposely have to change my view to God, to Jesus’ finished work and His lavish grace for all. This enables me to intentionally change my thoughts by turning to the Positive One.
If negativity sneaks up on you or you get stuck in it remember there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and everyone is in Jesus. God understands, but He doesn’t want us to live there. It is destructive to our health, relationships, and outlook. Turning to Positivity personified is powerful to displace negativity.
01:07 Ever wonder the history of negativity? I think it started in the Garden. Adam and Eve didn’t grasp how FULL they were, made in God’s image and likeness. Heck, most people don’t get that today and obviously a lot of negativity going around!
Adam and Eve turned away from the One who showed who they really were. In their ignorance they looked elsewhere and opened themselves up to lies. Negativity whispered, ‘God is holding out on you. He doesn’t really care about you. Do your own deal.’ Those lies of false identity, of lack, of emptiness, of do your deal made it easy to become negative and accusatory.
01:51 Do you know that negative thoughts involve a large part of our brain as we process them? And emotions come with negative thoughts. What a powerful and consuming combo in our brain! Research has shown that negative thought patterns literally become like interstates in our brains. Dr Carolyn Leaf, pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist, has written numerous books that expose toxic thinking and how the brain works. Her insights are very helpful and demonstrate the neuroplasticity of the brain. It can change and negative interstates can be removed!
02:33 Because emotionality is connected to negativity this means more attention is given to them. They can be our go to response – habitual. They feel normal and justified.
Do you see God as positive or do you believe He can get negative about you or others? If you do think He can be negative, I suspect religiosity has played a part in your thinking. I’ve learned it’s key to having a Christological lens in knowing God and doing life. Jesus came to show us the Father, the fullness of the Deity in bodily form in Jesus. That’s huge!
And don’t forget Jesus was always before the Father at the beginning of creation always rejoicing and His delight was with the sons of men. My how God is FOR us and rejoices over us. No wonder the reconciled the world to Themselves! Negativity is not in His being.
03:36 How can God set us free from negativity? Consider Psalm 23. This whole Psalm is positive even in the midst of some negative situations! Read it slowly, pause, let Holy Spirit bring refreshing renewing positivity. Anytime negative thoughts rise up in you, you could turn to Ps 23. Let your mind be renewed, let His provision and goodness displace those negative thoughts. Oh, and remember Ps 23 is not only for you it is for the person or the people that have hurt you or frustrate you and stirred up negative thoughts in you. It’s like praying a positive prayer over them.
04:23 So what are God’s thoughts and what do they accomplish?
God says, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts…for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My thoughts higher than your thoughts…the rain and snow come down from heaven and water the earth making it bud to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, even so My word that is connected to My thoughts will go forth and accomplish what I please and will prosper. For you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” My goodness God’s thoughts and words that always prosper are wildly positive!
05:12 How about - “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Then there’s “How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them they would be more numerous than the sand.”
05:35 All God’s thoughts are POSITIVE and OTHER CENTERED. His thoughts are for our well-being!
When negativity sneaks up on you, turn and embrace the One whose thoughts are ONLY AND ALWAYS POSITIVE – not only for you but for everyone. It’s like using that sneaky negativity to prompt you to be positive and release the goodness of God to yourself and others. Now that is a win win!
Until next Wednesday, Bliss to you and never forget God is absolutely crazy about you.
References: Jn 14:8 Jn 19:30 Eph 1:8 Col 2:9 Is 55:8-12 Jer 29:11 Ps 139:17,18