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The Power of Being Positive
By Joyce Meyer Warner Faith
Copyright © 2003 Joyce Meyer
All right reserved. ISBN: 0-446-53252-5
Chapter One
God's Word for You For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
Proverbs 23:7
Then to the centurion Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed. And the servant boy was restored to health at that very moment.
Matthew 8:13
The Power of Being Positive
Many years ago, I was an extremely negative person. My whole philosophy was this: "If you don't expect anything good to happen, then you won't be disappointed when it doesn't." So many devastating things had happened to me over the years that I was afraid to believe that anything good might happen. Since my thoughts were all negative, so was my mouth; therefore, so was my life.
Perhaps you're like me. You're avoiding hope to protect yourself against being hurt. This type of behavior sets up a negative lifestyle. Everything becomes negative because the thoughts are negative.
When I really began to study the Word and to trust God to restore me, one of the first things I realized was that the negativism had to go. And the longer I serve God, the more I realize the tremendous power in being positive in my thoughts and words.
Our actions are a direct result of our thoughts. A negative mind will result in a negative life. But if we renew our mind according to God's Word, we will, as Romans 12:2 promises, prove in our experience "the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
It is a vital necessity that we line up our thoughts with God's thoughts. This is a process that will take time and study.
God's Word for You
We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
Romans 8:28
All Things Work for Good
The apostle Paul does not say that all things are good, but he does say that all things work together for good.
Let's say you get in your car, and it won't start. There are two ways you can look at the situation. You can say, "I knew it! It never fails. My plans always flop." Or you can say, "Well, it looks as though I can't leave right now. I'll go later when the car is fixed. In the meantime, I believe this change in plans is going to work out for my good. There is probably some reason
I need to be at home today, so I'm going to enjoy my time here."
Paul also tells us in Romans 12:16 to "readily adjust yourself to [people, things]." The idea is that we must learn to become the kind of person who plans things but who doesn't fall apart if that plan doesn't work out.
The choice is ours. Any time we don't get what we want, our feelings will rise up and try to get us into self-pity and a negative attitude. Or we can adjust to the situation and go ahead and enjoy what God has for us no matter what happens.
The pathway to freedom from negativity begins when we face the problem without making excuses for it.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Power of Being Positive by Joyce Meyer Copyright © 2003 by Joyce Meyer . Excerpted by permission.
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