Say, “Goodbye” to Negative Nancy

Okay, so on Monday I decided to give up trying to be someone that I’m not. If you missed it you can recap in my post called A Life-Long “Be Someone Else” Fast. Today, I wanna start a fast from NEGATIVE PEOPLE.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This one will be tricky. As a pastor, I have made a vow to help those in need. And most of the time, that demands dealing with the good – but mostly the bad – in people.

However, some people don’t want help. They have become addicted to the mess they’ve made. And if they are determined to never stand in a positive posture, I am determined to walk, no, run away quickly.

As the saying goes, misery loves company. Well, happiness doesn’t want to be alone either. Here’s the type of people I like to hang with…

1. Smart.

They don’t have to know the entire Bible in Greek, but can we please have a conversation about something deeper than what happened on Scandal this week.

2. Ambitious.

Look, I have places to go and people to meet. If you are comfortable in your small box, cool. Enjoy. Me, I wanna see the world and do it all. And as much as I love being alone, having friends who are on the same mission is an additive.

3. Agreeable.

Some people are habitually disagreeable. No matter what you say, they find an opposing point. I will admit, I love a good debate; but if we absolutely never agree on anything, we are probably unequally yoked. That colloquialism is germane to more than marriage.

My mind is on good things. I am trying to build the Kingdom, raise a family and enjoy life to its fullest.

Philippians 4:8 says,

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

Sometimes it’s a daily fight to keep a positive mind-set. Having the right partners helps. The perfect design for relationships is to HELP NOT HURT. Do not stay in a undesirable connection whether it’s family, romantic, or business.

God wants us to either surround ourselves with people who can help us get where we are going, or people who are willing to except the help to get where they want to go. Both require movement in a forward direction.

So, here is what I want US to do:

1. Write a list of three negative people in your life.
2. Contact them for one last conversation.
3. Find an assertive and respectful way to explain to them that you may need to put up certain boundaries in your relationship.
4. If they wonder why, be frank. But expect them to disagree. Lol.
5. Pray for God to change their hearts. (Note: this prayer is not so you won’t be miserable anymore, but so they can find true peace and contentment.)

Extra Credit:

1. Take inventory of the ways in which YOU might be being negative. You never know, you might be on someone else’s “negative” list.
2. Then, pray for yourself. Express to God your desire to be more like Him.

The more you do this fast, the first one will get easier and easier.

What challenges do you image will face while trying to fast from negative people?

I’d love to hear from you.

LIFE More Abundantly

LOVE everyone. Love yourself enough to create boundaries.
An INTRODUCTION to GOD will completely change Nancy.
FELLOWSHIP with like-minded people.
EQUIP others to properly respond to you.

 Holistic Application

SPIRIT: Intentionally apply Philippians 4:8 daily.
SOUL: No matter how negative someone may get, keep your anger controlled.
MIND: Think of ways to produce positivity.
BODY: Build your personal boundaries for growth.

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• Think on These Things
• When fear and negativity takes over your life, you’re worshiping emotions, not God.
• “Is It Sinful To Be Stressed?”