By John Buttrey II
e all know them; we have all heard them; chances are we
have at one time been one… a negative person.
Negative in our thinking… “It will never work.”
Negative in our speech… “This stinks!”
Negative in our attitude… “I don’t have to do what you want!”
Negative people are the pessimists of our world.
When meeting or greeting people they don’t shake hands, they shake
their heads. The voyage of life
constantly finds them seasick and unhappy.
They are stealers of joy and thieves of grace.
A business can suffer from
negative people; whether it’s the employer or the employee.
A negative attitude is extremely unproductive and unprofitable to any
business.
A family can be victimized by
negativity. Parents who are always
negative with respect to their children… “You’ll never make anything of
yourself” “You’re stupid!” “You can’t do anything right!”
Negative spouses who never compliment or encourage; but rather, spent
valuable and precious time complaining and ridiculing the other.
A sports team will seldom
experience victory with a defeatist type of attitude… “We don’t stand a
chance!” “We can’t do it!”
Unfortunately, local
congregations sometimes suffer from what we could call “Negativism.”
In fact, it is probably all too common in the body of Christ.
The negative thinkers can take the wind out of our sails and throw us off
course. The most inspiring and
encouraging of sermons often seems to have little affect on Satan’s army of
negative attackers.
They are the first ones to
argue when any new program is tried… “It will never work.” When new songs are learned they will complain that the old
songs are better. They always have
a better idea which is oftentimes couched in the familiar words, “I would have
done it this way…” (meaning, “my way”).
I find it interesting that the
negative person is often one who never teaches classes, leads singing, preaches,
or serves as a deacon or elder—yet they are bold and harsh critics of those
who do. They are always quick to
point out how others are unqualified and unskilled; although, the negative
person will seldom demonstrate their abilities… other than to complain.
The complaining of the negative
people often comes when things are not done; or do not go; the way they wanted.
This happened with Israel on their journey to the promised land.
When the road got rough and things were not like they expected negativity
overtook them and they complained.
Then all the congregation lifted up
their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.
All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole
congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or
would that we had died in this wilderness!
“Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our
wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to
return to Egypt?”
Numbers 14:1-3
Later, during Israel’s journey, Korah assembled a group of negative
complainers. Their problem was
feeling like they were just as good as leaders as Moses and Aaron.
They felt left out because God had decreed only the descendants of Aaron
could be priests.
They assembled together against
Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the
congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why
do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
Numbers 16:3
Because of their negative rebellion against God’s appointed leaders,
Korah and his group met an eternal fate. The
same can happen today—though the punishment may not be as immediate; it will
still be eternal.
Let us pray for the negative people.
Encourage them to be positive. Do
not let them drag you down into their pits of gloom and despair through their
destructive and abusive rhetoric. There
is too much work to be done in the Lord’s church for us to be held back any
longer by negative spirits.
