Negativity is a cancer. One negative person can bring down an entire room. One negative comment can ruin an entire meal. One negative word can make a big difference. One negative comment can ruin an entire day. Negativity - what a lonely, sad, word. No body wants to be around it, but everybody carries it with them.
I once read it takes ten positive comments to cancel one negative word. Ten to one! That means our quick judgments, our nonchalantly spoken negative words all affect someone far greater than we realize. That means our one compliment means nothing in comparison to the four hateful words we shared. You see, words are powerful. And, negative words hurt far more than we realize. In James 3, the tongue is compared to a spark, quickly setting fire to those around it - damaging, hurting, tearing apart... all with one quickly spoken negative word (James 3:5-6)
On the flip side, although it may take longer, positive words also make an impact. One positive person can directly affect the happiness of 25% of her friends, 12% of her friends' friends, and 5% of her friends of friends' friends. One positive person can make a big difference. One positive person can change a bad day from a good one. You see just one positive person can make a difference- everybody wants to be around them, but not everybody knows how to be them. (But, we know the key - the key to positivity is Jesus!)
In Ecclesiastes 3:12 it states, "I know that there is nothing better than for men to be happy and do good while they live." Notice - being happy and doing good coincide. For as a positive person, one can do great good!
So, next time you go speak negatively - think about it. That one negative comment is difficult to erase. But, that positive comment is reversing someone's negativity, slowly eliminating those degrading comments he or she heard. Your positive comment is showing someone happiness and allowing you a change to do good as God commands.
So, whats it gonna be - the cancer of negativity or the life of positivity - the choice is yours. Just realize, your choice affects those around you.
"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1
No comments:
Post a Comment