As I mentioned last week, the last couple of months have been full of ups and downs. Trust me when I say the ups and downs have run the gamut. There have been some good things, followed by some challenging things, emotional things, made-up things, and drama things. I DON’T do ‘made up’ things or drama things. PERIOD. I don’t have time or patience for them.
So when I thought about all that had weighed on me–the circumstances and situations that had taken a toll, I began to see a pattern. It was the negative stuff that kept taking up space. And if you know me, I’m all about being positive. You know the glass half full/half empty thing. My glass is always half full. I prefer it that way and so does God.
So when I heard from many of you last week who were experiencing some of those same feelings and doing your best to break free of the negative situations, I honed in on three problematic areas.
The Blamers, Complainers, and Drainers.
That’s right. I was looking the negative square in the face and we were being surrounded by the ‘BCD’ gang.
BLAMERS – This is the group who basically never takes responsibility for anything that goes wrong because it’s always someone else’s fault. It’s just easier to blame others for whatever goes awry, instead of taking ownership and correcting the habit.
James 1:13-15 says, “Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way.” It’s easy to blame others and makes excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions. And if you’re not careful the list of excuses can be long.
COMPLAINERS – This is the group who sees the negative in every situation, but who never have a solution to make it better. They are the ultimate pot stirrers and take pride in airing their unhappiness on social media. They relish the attention, but if they’re ever called on it, their response is always, “well, I wasn’t trying to be rude,’ or ‘I didn’t mean for it to come across that way.’ YES, they did. It’s about feeling entitled.
It’s no different than the Israelites complaining about eating the same manna at every meal. They didn’t seem to notice what God was doing for them–setting them free, giving them a new land, and making them a nation. They were so caught up in what He wasn’t doing for them that somewhere along the way they forgot to be grateful. Numbers 11:4-6; Exodus 18:13-14
The same could be said today.
Tweet ThisDRAINERS – These folks suck the very life from you. I recently read the term, ‘Energy Vampires,’ to describe them. Misery loves company and they cry out for other miserable people to join them. The term, ‘Energy Vampires,’ isn’t mentioned in the Bible of course, but the Bible does talk about our attitudes and how we are to act in this life. Jesus loves the positive and joyful person.
The drainers surrounded Moses too. In Numbers 13, Moses sent 12 men to explore the land of Canaan. The men saw that the people of the land were much bigger than they were. When they returned, 10 of them basically said, “No way, Moses. These guys are powerful and the cities are very large. We can’t do it.” It was a bad and negative report all the way around. And they just kept spreading the doom and gloom everywhere.
But then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take over the land, for we can certainly do it.”
The rebellion of the people distressed Moses greatly. More than that, their behavior disappointed God. They didn’t trust Him and they didn’t believe that He would lead them through. Of course their negative behavior was punished and they weren’t allowed to enter the land until several years later. But Caleb and Joshua stepped out of their comfort zone and believed in God the Father. They were allowed to enter Canaan.
EACH OF THESE GROUPS SHARE A COMMONALITY. They’re unhappy. They’re miserable and they let everyone know it.
All of us have experienced rough days and dealt with some unhappy people. But this life is short and we must not let the negative take over our lives. We are to live by the Fruit of the Spirit and let those verses feed our joyful and positive attitudes.
So the best way to avoid being a member of the ‘BCD’ gang is to be as kind, loving, forgiving, peaceful, good, gentle, and faithful as God wants us to be. We are to care for and love others unconditionally. We are to be thankful and grateful for all He has done for us.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
Next time you are surrounded by the negative, shout from the mountain top how much you love Jesus. Make it known that you can get through the challenges because you have the assurance of the solid rock.
Dear Lord, I come to you today asking for your love and protection as we make our way through the not-so-good times. Keep us upright and guarded as we encounter those who weigh us down with their words and actions. Help us to be forgiving and a light for you at all times. Let us Praise Him in the morning and Praise Him in the evening. AMEN.
I’ll be praying for you.
Amen! I loved reading this for my Sunday morning devotional time:) I can especially let Drainers affect me – my energy, my attitude, and my countenance. Thank you for the reminder this morning that we can live in victorious joy, even in the midst of negativity that surrounds us. Have a blessed day!
Thank you as always my friend for joining me this morning. I am always blessed and encouraged by your words.
Thank you, Mitzi!!
Thank you Nancy! It’s certainly something for all of us to think about. I want people to bring positivity and problem-solving to the table.
This was so good! I love the quote about complainers complaining in paradise. I really try my hardest not to be one.
Thank you Jauwan! I’m with you–I work really hard not to be a BCD girl. We must continue to stand in God’s word and model the positive.
It is so easy to get sucked into the negative. When we fail to definitively refute it, it has a way of seeping into the cracks and clogging up our capacity for the positive. I tend to get trapped by the drainers. I need to be mindful to keep people like that at arm’s length (in love). Thankful and grateful. Solid advice.
Thank you Sheila. I just want others to be mindful of what’s going on around them. We are to guard our hearts and minds from the trappings of this world and the blamers, complainers, and drainers take up so much time and stir negativity.
“A thankful person is thankful under all circumstances; a complaining soul complains even in paradise.” Wow, Mitzi! That is powerful! Thank you for this amazing post.
Thank you Rebecca! The BCD’s take up so much time and I try to be very cognizant of not doing that to others. We’ve got to stand in the positive.