Don’t Waste Your Time And Energy On Negative People, By Joel Osteen

Don’t waste your time and energy on negative people. Let it go. You don’t need other people's approval to be who God made you to be.

If you’re not content with your gift or comfortable with what God has given you, then you’ll go through life frustrated and envious. Don’t make the mistake of trying to keep up with others.

Your relatives may have made decisions that put you at a disadvantage, but God is saying, “It doesn’t have to affect you.” Start deactivating those negative genes. This is a new day!

http://www.believersworld.net/2014/04/dont-waste-your-time-and-energy-on.html
 
So what Joel is saying is that we must...

1. Avoid the poor and depressed (Don’t waste your time and energy on negative people).
2. If you are a rude sinner, its ok (You don’t need other people's approval to be who God made you to be).
3. You can use self induced brainwashing to deal with your problems, negativity....sin? (Start deactivating those negative genes).

The only truthful statement is ''If you’re not content with your gift or comfortable with what God has given you, then you’ll go through life frustrated and envious. Don’t make the mistake of trying to keep up with others.'' Contentment is Christianity 101.
 
I think what Joel means is to not spend our time on negative people who only want to bring us down and that we don't need to consistently prove who we are to gain their approval. We only have to please God and seek His approval. Yes it's good to do for others and seek to help others but some people have a negative energy which is not necessarily in a poor and depressed state who need others to reach out to them but negative in the sense that they hate to see others being happy, positive and doing well. Negative could mean those who constantly criticise, have nothing good to say about others, put other people down and are just downright horrible. And no it's not okay to just do what you like, we all must strive to do better and be content and accept who we are if we are trying our best to be a better person in every way. If we are not content we could look to others and be envious but that's why we need to find contentment within and do the best we can in life . Seeking to be who God intended us to be and living according to His will.
 
The positive / negative teaching is tripe. It caters for all sinners to live as they please and avoid those that need help...the very reason we are on earth as Christians. It speaks to the flesh and vanity. It speaks to willpower and self righteousness. It makes me sick. What you said is fine, but that is because you accommodating this theory into a clean / sane Christian life / mind....most, including the preachers, don't. They teach it to increase membership. Sounding right does not equal truth. We are delivered from sin, we are overcomers...not self induced positively brainwashed monkeys.

I don't want all to stop listening to Joel or say he has got nothing of value to offer. He has and God is using him. But let's not be naive on certain heresies. These are the last days, we should all expect and identify them. Christians are to be vigilant. http://www.letusreason.org/popteac29.htm.
 
As christians we are not to live just as we please and we are to reach out to others. I do believe in positive and negative energy and i do recognize as you say that we are to be vigilant. I just commented on how i see what Joel means.
 
You know, I have tried to watch Joel the last couple of weekends and, yes he is very positive, but he will twist verses in the Bible to conform with his positive thinking. I wish I could remember exactly what verse it was this weekend but I immediately was like "he is out of his mind" I will try to find it
 
I must admit i have not watched him so i apologize if i'm giving an opinion when i havn't personally checked him out. I'm just going on his quote in the OP .
 
:)This REALLY opened my eyes (because im always trying to make right what was wrong with negative people but now i see the truth)
Thanx alot
 
This positive vs. negative thing is a sidetrack. If someone is saying something negative to you, you first need to check out what is being said to see if there is any truth in it before you discount it. God used Jeremiah to warn the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the coming destruction, but they basically said, "Why are you saying so many negative words?" They had their prophets who spoke the positive things they wanted to hear... and so, not taking the warning, they were destroyed.

In the New Testament, there are also warnings to us that we need to listen to (James 4:7-10 and Revelation 2:1-3:22 for example). If we don't, then we'll suffer as well.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse. (Proverbs 27:6)

If Joel said something like "Don't waste your time with stubborn and rebellious people," then he might have something I can agree with.
 
There is a time to laugh and a time to cry, to rejoice and to weep...But the Joy of the Lord is the true strength of a believer. It is a fruit of the Spirit and those who claim to be In Christ should always have an inward Joy even in there trials. Im sorry but "negative" people and negative Christians are just bound in the flesh. Many are too blinded by religious works and self-righteousness to see the truth. If a believer does not have joy unspeakable and full of glory...they have not met the True Holy Spirit. I am not saying that a believer does not have times when God seems distant, or an evil day... But a true believer, walking in the Spirit will be a source of joy and gladness for those they meet.
 
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