Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things.
Our culture is addicted to negativity. YouTube videos and social media algorithms feed us click bait headlines that specialize in raising our blood pressure. The more enraging, salacious, and ridiculous the headline, the more clicks and views the content will get.
I recently listened to a podcast where a celebrity interviewed a "reporter" of an online news company. The celebrity asked the reporter why their company posted articles and headlines about him that were unflattering and filled with false information. In a shocking moment of honesty the reporter admitted that the advertising dollars they receive are based on the amount of traffic they can drive to their website. Negativity gets the clicks, positivity does not. Negativity is a lucrative market!
As you scroll through your phone you are more likely to open the article that has a headline that makes you mad. The more you click, the more the algorithm feeds you similar content. Pretty soon your brain is trained. When negativity becomes your fuel source it will manifest itself in what you think about, read about, and talk about.
Negativity becomes our passion.
The pursuit of negativity is the symptom of a deep issue problem in our lives. It's the evidence of a coroded mind. An addiction to negativity is ultimately the sign of an unhealthy spiritual heart.
The mind is the starting point for action. Action needs a fuel source. If our minds are fed negativity on a constant basis it will crave negativity as its food. Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us to run the race marked out for us with perseverance as followers of Christ, well, are you fueling your mind with "junk food" as your fuel to run this race? That's what negativity is...it's garbage. It's junk food.
Think about it, our great commision in this world is to "go and make disciples of Jesus" but the more time we spend wandering down the rabbit-hole of negativity on social media the more likely we are to give up and think the world is a horrible place. We cry out "Jesus, please return" because we're worn out. Running on fumes. Culturally exhausted and losing hope in Christ's redemptive power in such a depraved world.
We become like Jonah, who God told to go to Ninevah but Jonah didn't want to. He didn't like the people of Ninevah and didn't want God to save anyone from there. Negativity had taken root in Jonah's heart!
What's God's antidote?
Change your mind's fuel source.
Philippians 4:8 is the guide to healthy eating. Nourishment for your mind that will break it free from the throws of negative addiction. In fact, when you read the words of Philippians 4:8 it almost looks like a training program. The words are life-giving. They will train your mind to see the light of Jesus when it appears there is only darkness. You will look for the goodness of God when evil is all around. You will feel a check in your spirit when you go to click on something that is meant to anger you. You will say to yourself, "I'm not going to do that anymore, I will choose to focus on God and I will see people through God's eyes."
Read it again...
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things.
It may sound boring. It may not get clicks. But it's biblical truth! And this is the way God calls us to live as believers in Christ.
Are you addicted to negativity? Stop feeding the addiction and begin to renew your mind with the nourishing, healthy words of God found in His Word.
Josh
Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of New Hope Community Church in Brentwood, TN.
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