Faith or Positive Thinking?

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“I prefer to be positive.” You have heard this out of the mouths of many. Positive thinking has been around a long time popularized by Norman Vincent Peale. It sounds good and, I think, many consider it the same thing as or at least akin to what we call faith. But is it really? Most of its adherents have faith in nothing other than themselves.

According to one source, positive thinking is a “technique” for changing your attitude and fostering optimism.  It is a mental attitude in which you expect good and favorable results. Another says positive thinking is the process of creating thoughts that create and transform energy into reality. To sum it up, they say that you, and you alone, by the power of your sheer will, are able to convert the lemons thrown at you into lemonade.

The definition of faith on the other hand is on the lips of most Christians who know this verse by heart:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1)

 The difference may seem subtle, but the gap between them is as far as the east is from the west. They are two different things altogether. Positive thinking is simply another form of negative thinking masquerading around as an efficacious replacement for faith. It tries to replicate something that only God has the power to do. It has the appearance of godliness, but denies its power (2 Tim 3:5). This is why.

The “Positive Thinker” makes a conscious decision to take some situation in their lives with the potential to affect them adversely and think about it in a positive light. By doing so, they have just admitted, acknowledged, and accepted the fact that there is a problem which, according to Webster, is a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. The fact that they have decided to pretend this “negative” situation does not exist does not make it go away. It gives it life. You can put lipstick on a pig, but all you end up with is pretty pig.

Faith operates from a totally different perspective. Its source is from the inside-out; the opposite of the outside-in of positive thinking. It is not a conscious effort to view something as good. Faith knows that everything is good, even things that have the so-called appearance of evil. Now this is a tall glass of water to drink, even for most Christians who have a divided outlook. Let’s check it out with a few verses.

I form light and create darkness;
    I make well-being and create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things. (Isa 45:7)

This says there is only one power in the universe. That is God’s power. Only He can do all these things. But we know that He cannot do anything except out of who He is. Since God is Love (1 John 4:8), then everything–not just what we perceive as good things– is out of Love and it is good. Remember what He said in the beginning?

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.     (Gen 1:31)

God said that everything was good. Well, nothing has changed except for man’s new divided consciousness, now knowing good and evil. God never took that back. And if everything is good, then we can believe that this is true:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ( Rom 8:28)

And if true, then we KNOW and have assurance that all things will work out according to God’s purpose which is ALWAYS good, despite appearances. Knowing means we don’t have to put any effort into believing it. It just is. The positive thinker has to support their decision with effort. That takes energy which at some point gives out. Faith streams like rivers of living water and has the Son of God as its infinite supply.

The interesting thing is that both have the same outcome. The positive thinker may delude him or herself into believing they worked the problem out on their own, but God says different:

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Prov 8:28)

They can claim credit, but there was never a moment when God was not in control. Whether we see Him in each situation or not, He is there, working everything according to His will.

Jesus said, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”  It all happens the same way whether you think about it, fuss about it, fume about it, plan it, conspire or just believe. The latter is much easier.

Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Stop believing in two powers, one good and one evil. There is only ONE power. Do not judge by appearances and turn into a pillar of salt. Remember that God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Just believe and find rest for your souls.

Read The Seeing Eye to gain a perspective of how God uses all things for our good. Where does the love of God go when evil descends around us like a bell jar? Carl Cook’s birth mother gave him up and his adoptive mother was murdered. He was abused by his stepfather, failed by the justice system, dismissed by the school system, and neglected by the church. Abandoned and homeless, Carl stoically faces these hurdles alone. Or is he?

Now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle version.