3 Disturbing Ways Negativity Robs Us of God’s Blessings

I hope you love the products and resources I recommend here at A Little R & R. Just so you know, it is possible that I get a commission and collect income from the links on this page. Click here for more info.

Is negativity a struggle for you?

Have you begun to see its damaging effects on your life, decisions, and spiritual growth?

Perhaps you’ve begun to realize the ways negativity robs us of all the goodness God has for us, and you want to begin taking the necessary steps to win the victory and walk in the joy of the Lord.

You are not alone. Throughout the Bible, we see many men and women who failed to gain control over negativity, and how it not only affected their personal lives, but it had a wider impact on those around them.

In my walk with the Lord, which spans over 40 years, I have struggled with negative, pessimistic thinking. for many years. I even excused it by calling it realism and practical thinking.

In reality, I had given up on a worthy journey of learning to trust in God’s timing and perfect plans.

Murphy’s Law had become more real and practical to me than Romans 8:28 and all of the other wonderful promises God has given to us in His Word.

3 Disturbing Ways Negativity Robs Us of God’s Blessings

A few years ago, as I was reading the book of Exodus, I read a familiar passage that stood out to me in a whole new way.

I imagine it was somewhat disappointing at times for the Israelites.

They had left Egypt in a state of incredible euphoria. God had dramatically defeated Pharaoh, and they walked out of their slavery loaded down with amazing riches.

I don’t know if they imagined that they’d walk straight into the Promised Land, but I’m certain they never imagined that they’d wander around the desert for years, eat the same food for every meal, and have to battle off enemy after enemy.

The biggest enemy they’d battle was not a physical one, but the one inside their hearts.

Negativity.

It started only days after they left Egypt and landed at the Red Sea.

Sandwiched between a body of water and the encroaching Egyptian army, they had already forgotten the powerful hand of God that had delivered them from the most powerful dynasty of that time, utterly crushing it to powder.

Rather than meeting their obstacle with faith, they lashed out at Moses, saying that it would have been better to die in Egypt.

And this narrative is repeated with alarming regularity throughout their journey to the Promised Land; and, in fact, grows with each obstacle until the Israelites actually look back on their time in Egypt with strange fondness!

And God was patient with them for a season, but there came a point when they pushed too far.

1. Negativity Pushes God Too Far

Did you know you can push God too far?

Did you know that God will sometimes give you what you want when it’s not His will?

There is an odd sort of mystical belief in the body of Christ that the outcome of a situation reveals the will of God.

But this sort of que sera sera-type of belief system is faulty at best and dangerous at worst because it fails to engage in spiritual warfare for those things that are God’s will and that the enemy seeks to stop.

It also fails to take into account man’s sinful nature that manipulates and pushes until it gets its way.

This belief system actually supposes that, despite the rebellion of man, God refuses to allow anything to happen to him that isn’t His will, but we see differently in Numbers 11.

The Israelites were tired of manna.

Yes, the same mana that was dew from heaven, a supernatural provision of food.

Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!

Numbers 11:4-6

Negativity had taken root and had borne such ungratefulness that they actually dared to criticize the supernatural provision of God.

They wanted meat.

Numbers 11:10 says that every Israelite stood at the door of their tent and wept.

Not only did they weep, but they also began to reminisce about their days in Egypt, dreaming about all the wonderful food they ate there.

And Moses had finally had it.

He goes before God in anger, and God’s response in Numbers 11:19 is this: (my paraphrase)

“You want meat? Oh, I’ll send meat! You’ll eat meat not one day, not two days, not five, ten, or twenty days, but every day for a whole month until you literally gag on it!”

2. Negativity Offends God

Can we offend God?

I think we clearly see in Numbers 11:19 that God was offended. Deeply offended.

He had led the children of Israel out of terrible slavery and on a journey to a land He’d promised and prepared.

He’d rescued His children and then blessed them with supernatural food that no one on earth had ever seen or eaten before or since.

And what is their response? They began to despise that food and regret that they ever left Egypt.

They offended God.

We must be so careful to guard our hearts. Do the desires of our hearts line up with God’s desires?

Psalm 37:4 says that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts.

But what is often missed is that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, meaning that if we find our complete and total satisfaction in Him, His desires become our desires.

But what happens if our desires are not in step with God’s desires?

Will He give us those desires, too?

Yes, sometimes He will if we pressure Him enough. He will give in to our will.

And it is never good when He does.

But it doesn’t stop there.

3. Negativity Brings Death

As the Israelites finally near the Promised Land, Moses sends in a delegation.

We all know the story: 10 spies bring back a negative report, while only Joshua and Caleb have the faith to believe they can overcome the enemy.

These words in Numbers 13:33 are telling: “and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

The seed of unbelief that was planted in their hearts bore the fruit of insecurity. “Since we felt like we were like grasshoppers to these giants, that must be how they see us.”

The same God who single-handedly destroyed the mighty Pharaoh in Egypt was apparently powerless against these giants, because the 10 spies said it would be impossible to defeat the enemy.

In Numbers 14:4, we read that the children of Israel voted not to enter the Promised Land.

The negativity, ungratefulness, dissatisfaction, and pessimism of the Israelites deeply offended God, and He destroyed the 10 spies who brought back the disparaging report.

And no one 20 years or older would enter into the blessing of God – except Joshua and Caleb.

The consequence for their negativity and ungratefulness to God was death in the desert.

Dear sister, failure to overcome negativity in our lives robs us of more than we could ever know.

It seems like such a small thing, not important at all. However, we see the failure of the Israelites to overcome their complaining and ungrateful spirit offended God and pushed Him to the point where He withdrew His blessing from their lives.

All of those 40 years wandering in the desert resulted in nothing.

They never entered the Promised Land.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” And the antithesis is true. Our lack of faith displeases Him.

The consequence for offending Him is that we miss out on the blessings He has in store for us.

Dear sister, you may be in a desert right now, but hold on to faith. He is leading you to a destination of blessing and wholeness.

It is a journey of faith.

• Don’t allow the enemy to plant negativity in your heart.
• Don’t offend Him with your unbelief.
• Don’t do as the Israelites.
• Don’t die in this desert.

Unbelief will bear the fruit of ungratefulness, negativity, and insecurity in your heart.

Learn from Joshua and Caleb and have faith in your God.

Joshua and Caleb saw the same giants that the other 10 men saw, but instead of seeing an impossible situation, they saw an opportunity for God to be glorified!

Get these verses in a free printable download today and join me in renewing your mind

Get these Bible verses for negativity today, or as a bookmark, when you click on the links or images below