The Negative Challenge

“The Negative Challenge”

By Zach Wood

Ephesians 4:29

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Paul talks to the church in Ephesus and encourages them to be careful in what comes from their mouth when they speak.  Paul is clear that nothing discouraging or negative should come from them and it’s an encouragement for us as well. 

Here is the two-fold challenge to think, pray about and put into action everyday.  The first part of the challenge is: Be negative-free for at least one whole day.  For one day, don’t say anything negative to anyone or about anyone or anything.  This is a difficult challenge for us because we’ve become accustomed to this so often in our lives each day. 

The second part of the challenge is: Encourage others often.  It seems so easy for us to go through our days and not be encouraging to other people.  We often get so focused on things we don’t like and people who annoy us that we forget that people need encouraged.  When we are treated wrong by someone, it’s very hard to be nice back to them because we feel wronged.  We feel they don’t deserve to be treated nice in return. 

This is a challenge I feel so many of us need in our lives.  Often times, we get so negative and it becomes something we do without thinking too much about it.  We complain and talk discouraging toward others without realizing how much we are doing so.  If we want to be Christ-like to others and share His love with a lost world, we must be more aware of how we talk toward others and focus on being uplifting with our words. 

This challenge is “The Negative Challenge”.  Being negative-free and encouraging others often.  Are you up for it?