06-22-2025 Staying Positive in a Negative World
Text: Philippians 4:6-9
There’s no question that the world we live in looks dark and scary a lot of the time. And yes, we’re affected by the trouble all around us that includes war, violence, crime, substance abuse, abortion, and the breakup of homes and families. Jesus knew this but He assures us in John 16:33 that despite how it looks and with whatever troubles we may experience, we shouldn’t be afraid because everything is under God’s control. All we need to do is trust what He tells us and believe in Him because He has overcome the world. When we put our complete faith and trust in Jesus, despite the negativity and darkness that surrounds us, we can still be happy as Paul tells us in Philippians 3:1.
Our text today is from Philippians 4:6-9 where Paul tells us: “ (6) Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (9) Those things, which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do. And the God of Peace shall be with you.”
Paul is telling us that Christians are to focus on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report then praise God for these things. Still, sometimes Christians have negative attitudes and complain. So how can we remain positive in this negative world?
We can remain positive when we respond to God’s love. Verses 6 and 7 show us that God loves us despite the circumstances in which we live. His love is shown to us when we look around at the beauty He has created in this world. We have glorious sunrises, awe-inspiring sunsets, and beautiful flowers and trees all around for us to enjoy. His love is demonstrated through the answers He gives us to our prayers. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, and sometimes He tells us to wait; but He always answers. God reveals His love for us in the Bible. If you’re feeling anxious and on edge, go to your Bible and learn about how much He loves you especially in the part where He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross to take away your sin so that you can be reconciled back into God’s family.
I know that being told to maintain a positive attitude or a cheerful outlook isn’t always easy and may seem condescending, especially when you’re dealing with difficult and unsettling issues. But when we become Christians, the Holy Spirit helps us to reprogram our thinking. This world constantly bombards us with negative messages. We live in the age of instant communication which makes us immediately aware of all the bad and unsettling things happening in the world around us. But remember, the phrase ‘if it’s on the internet, it’s true’ is an outright lie. A lot of what is there is false and fake. Because of the abundance of negative information we are subjected to daily, there is the possibility of psychological and physical dangers to us. We can become depressed or found to be in harm’s way where we felt we would always be safe. That’s why it’s important that we counteract negativity by filling our hearts and minds with faith-building information. This by developing an active devotional life where we read the Bible daily and pray often. If we start each day by being thankful for God’s love and for what He has given us, we will remain assured that God will always come through for us and our whole outlook will change.
Verse 8 tells us that what we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words, desires, and actions. Paul tells us to train our minds to focus on thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. If you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams, examine what you’re putting into your mind through movies, the internet, books, conversations, television, video games, and magazines. Make the effort to replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read your Bible daily and pray often. Ask Him to help you fill your mind with good and pure thoughts. This takes time and practice, but it can be done. And, when this becomes your habit, you will find the benefits you receive will be worth the time spent studying and praying.
Another thing we learn in verse 8 is to recognize the best in other people. Every human being is imperfect – including ourselves. Because there are no perfect people, there are also no perfect churches or pastors. When we take the time to look, we can always find something positive about everyone we encounter. There are those that are true, honest, helpful, and just. We find those that are good friends and do things that are worthy of praise. In Philippians 1:3 Paul thanked God every time he thought about the people to whom he was writing this. How could he do this? Because he chose to remember positive things about them rather than dwelling on their negative attitudes and attributes. Taking this same approach with the people we encounter will serve us well. It’s not always easy, but it can be done if we make the effort to do it.
Verse 9 tells us that it’s not enough to hear or read the Bible or even to know it well. We must also put what the Bible teaches us into practice. It’s easy to read the Bible but it’s important to apply what it tells us to live our lives differently. It’s easy to debate what a passage means but we must also live that meaning. Exposure to God’s Word but it’s not enough. We must apply it to our lives to live as He would have us live.
As Christians, we’re to reach out to those who are lost and hurting. Paul was telling the Philippians when he wrote his letter -- which applies to us today -- that we aren’t to focus on the faults of others. If we do, we can’t go to the lost and show them what Jesus can do for them. Paul always reached out to the lost because he wanted them to be saved through Jesus Christ. We are to do the same. Psalm 126:6 tells us that those who go out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with joy, carrying sheaves with them. The seeds to be sown symbolize the love of Jesus on the cross, and the sheaves symbolize those with whom we share His love. When we do this, it will always bring positive joy into our lives because we will feel and understand that the peace of God is with us even if we don’t know if or when the person has accepted what we shared with them. The decision to accept Christ is personal for every individual. All we can do is plant the seed and then pray that it takes root.
Imagine never being anxious about anything! That may seem impossible to achieve. Afterall everyone has worries about world events, on the job, at home, and even at school. But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers. If you want to worry less, then pray more! Whenever you find yourself starting to worry, stop and pray. Then take time to listen to what God has to say to you and thank Him for all the good work he has done in your life, in your family, in your church, in your community, and in the world.
God’s peace is different from the world’s peace as Jesus tells us in John 14:27. True peace isn’t found in positive thinking, in the absence of conflict, or even in good feelings. It can only come when we decide to trust God to work everything out in a way that is best for us as we fulfill our role in God’s work in the world. True peace comes from knowing that our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is a sure thing, that our destiny is set, and we have achieved victory over sin. Let God’s peace guard your heart against the anxieties of this world that try to bring you down and keep your focus off Jesus. When we trust God, He gives us a peaceful perspective in a traffic jam, on a difficult phone call, in a troubled relationship, and even when death is near. Faith in Christ enables us to be positive in this negative world. And our positive testimony will bring others to our Savior Jesus.
Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.