Negative or Positive?

Negative or Positive?

By Craig Ruhl –

Wouldn’t it be cool if, when we speak or write something negative, we also offered the positive side of the coin? There are always two sides to every story, situation, belief, and attitude. Our car batteries have both positive and negative terminals. For an electrical system to function, the energy must flow from the positive side first to power what it is attached to, and then, afterward, it returns to through the negative side. We might refer to the negative part of the equation as depleted energy.

In life, we often see the negative side of things without first exploring the positive. This could be what some would call being a devil’s advocate. This may be from an abundance of caution or perhaps from a fear of failure if a wrong decision is made. I don’t think this is the same as pessimism because that is defined as taking the gloomiest view possible and that the evil in the world outweighs the good. No, what I am thinking of here is more of a practical reasoning of weighing both the benefits and the risks before deciding on a course of action.

How about in our prayer life? We should carefully consider how we approach God with our requests. Are we able to be thankful in times of need or hurt, as well as when things are good? Where are our prayers coming from? The positive side, or the negative side of life?

 “In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14 NKJV)

Do we truly believe that God listens to our prayers? That He cares for us and wants us to be healthy and prosper? That He will answer our prayers according to His will and His plan? Well then, shouldn’t our prayer be both positive and expectant? God already knows all about our situation. He knows our needs and our wishes. What He wants is for us to come to our Father, thankfully, with praise and joy. Jesus taught us how to do just that in what we refer to as the Lord’s prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4) There isn’t anything negative in this manner of prayer.

Outside of our prayer life, we all interact with people daily. Just like our prayer life, our everyday interaction with others should not just center on what we need or want. How different would our world look if we approached our human interaction in the same spirit as our prayer life? Praise instead of criticism? Acknowledgment of worth before exposing weaknesses and faults? As we go through our daily routines, we need to recognize the good, even as we are aware of the bad things in life. It is easy to be drawn into a sense of doom and gloom in this world we live in. People can frustrate and infuriate us. When that happens, we need to be graceful. Yes, even when it rubs and chafes us. God grants us grace amid turmoil and strife, even in disaster. There is often a silver lining inside those storm clouds. We just need to see the good through the mist of the not-so-good.

Jesus taught us to give praise to the Father and always offer thanks when we pray. We have so much to be thankful for. Our bounty and blessings come from God, so that is where our prayerful focus should be. He also taught us how to interact with each other.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NKJV)

As we love each other, we must do so positively, extending grace when needed. Encouraging and supporting each other. It is important to note here that extending grace does not mean we need to support or accept unhealthy or sinful behavior. We are all sinners, and one person’s sin is neither less nor greater than another’s. God sees us all, saints and sinners alike, as His children. He loves us all.

It is our choice—negative or positive.

Choose carefully; it matters.

Craig Ruhl is the Managing Editor and Business Manager of Faith On Every Corner. He writes and edits articles for Faith On Every Corner magazine. Reading and writing have been his lifelong passions. After retiring from a career in business ownership and management, he now focuses his gifts and talents on spreading the good news of Jesus Christ through Faith On Every Corner. When not working, Craig enjoys road trips with his wife, Karen, and collecting and using fountain and dip pen collections.

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