Be Positive

How to Live a Life Filled with Hope

“…as you have believed, so let it be done for you….”

Matthew 8:13 (NKJV)

Many years ago, I was extremely negative. I always say that if I thought two positive thoughts in a row, my mind would get in a cramp. My whole philosophy was this: "If you don't expect anything good to happen, then you won't be disappointed when it doesn't."

I had encountered so many disappointments in life—so many devastating things had happened to me—that I was afraid to believe that anything good might happen. I had a terribly negative out­look on everything. Since my thoughts were all negative, so was my mouth; therefore, so was my life.

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.

Positive minds produce positive lives. Negative minds produce negative lives. Positive thoughts are always full of faith and hope. Negative thoughts are always full of fear and doubt.

Some people are afraid to hope because they have been hurt so much in life. They have had so many disappointments, they don't think they can face the pain of another one. Therefore, they refuse to hope so they won't be disappointed.

This avoidance of hope is a type of protection against being hurt. Disappointment hurts! So rather than be hurt again, many people simply refuse to hope or to believe that anything good will ever happen to them. This type of behavior sets up a negative lifestyle. Everything becomes negative because the thoughts are negative. Remember Proverbs 23:7: For as he [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he….

In Matthew 8:13 Jesus tells us that it will be done for us as we have believed. The King James Version says, …as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee…. Everything I believed was negative, so naturally many negative things happened to me.

This doesn't mean that you and I can get anything we want by just thinking about it. God has a perfect plan for each of us, and we can't control Him with our thoughts and words. But we must think and speak in agreement with His will and plan for us.

If you don't have any idea what God's will is for you at this point, at least begin by thinking, Well, I don't know God's plan, but I know He loves me. Whatever He does will be good, and I'll be blessed.

Begin to think positively about your life. Practice being positive in each situation that arises. Even if whatever is taking place in your life at the moment is not so good, expect God to bring good out of it, as He has promised in His Word.

Study Tip: Years ago, I began studying the Bible and looking for every place it says, “believe.” Believing is closely associated with our thoughts and plays a crucial role in building our faith. Today, I challenge you to take the rest of your study time to look up scriptures that include the word believe. What types of things is God asking us to believe? How do you think your life would change if you decided today to wholeheartedly believe God in all of these areas?

Walk It Out: Regardless of what is going on in our lives, God wants us to believe that He is working and good things are on the way. So, here is your homework: Each day, I encourage you to speak the following words as a reminder that God is always good:

“God is good! He loves me, and today is going to be filled with His blessings!”