November 8, 2022 -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Christians reclaiming Positive Thinking

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4 ESV

Positive thinking is our character trait focus for today. It seems like a secular conference topic, rather than a biblical virtue or character trait. This positive thinking is founded on the assurance that Jesus Christ is at the Father’s right hand. He is in the place of power. He is the hope and confidence of all who believe in Him. He has your life hidden from the enemy’s full power and He protects you right up to the Day of Salvation. All the circumstances of your life are producing for you a weight of glory. Positive thinking reaffirms the confident hope that God is not abandoning you when things go wrong.

This is a challenging point for Christians, the realization that Christians do suffer. The devil will always rail against you, it is his job. He hates God, can’t storm heaven and give the LORD of Glory a black eye, so he blackens the eyes of Christians. Such assaults of the enemy are under the Sovereign control of the Living God Who uses everything so that believers will grow, mature, and run to Jesus not trusting in their own strength or abilities. The world cannot love Jesus. The world and all her powers and people are under the influence of the prince of the air—the devil. Our own flesh remembers the patterns of sin and would easily return. Positive thinking rises above all the storms and whirlwinds and focuses on Jesus.

Negative thinking falls into discouragement. Negative thinking is gloomy and resents the good that others seem to have even as the LORD, our Father Who is the Source of All Good, is working to bring about His holy purposes. Negative thinking does not lift the eyes to heaven in faith, where one can see Jesus seated in power, praying for His saints and gathering His Church. As the saying goes “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22 ESV). Negative thinking that isn’t stopped shrivels up your hope, your outlook and goes right into the core of who you are and robs you of all strength.

Positive thinking is cultivated. Choose each day, in the strength of the Spirit, to begin your day looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of your faith. Pray to the Father on the basis of Jesus’ accomplished work. The very trials and struggles you undergo are meant to drive you to Jesus. The devil intends evil, and God Who is Sovereign over all things thwarts the devils plans by using those very things to bring you to Himself so He can apply His salvation in ever greater measure.

Father in heaven, great is Your Name and awesome are all Your works. Thank You for the fact that You do all things well, in their perfect place and time, so that Your people will cry out to You, finding whenever they do cry out, strength at the throne of grace, where Jesus is seated in splendour. Give Your children the humble wisdom to know all the circumstances of our lives are meant to bring them to the place of prayer--thanking You for every good gift, crying out to You in every trial, and trusting that every moment of life is under Your watchful care. Spirit of God, use every circumstance of life to cultivate the promised fruit so that joy will increase in fuller measure and all of life will result in ever increasing profound confidence in God's oversight. Amen.

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