A few years back, furniture giant, Ikea, commissioned a project to raise awareness for an anti-bullying campaign. According to the Daily Mail;
‘Ikea asked a group of school children to talk to two plants in very different ways; one nicely and one with a slew of bullying, hateful comments. For 30 days, two plants, kept in identical conditions with the same amount of light, water and fertilizer, were displayed at the school in Dubai. Children were encouraged to record both negative and positive comments, including playground taunts. The verbal bullying and the sweet nothings were then dished out regularly to the plants, using a computerised voice. At the end of the month, the plant that had been on the receiving end of the negativity appeared visibly different, with drooping and dying leaves. Meanwhile, the plant that had been told nice things had thrived, with a YouTube video showing a clear difference between the two flowers.’
Whilst there are those who believe the video is some kind of hoax, I have no doubt about its authenticity. Why? Because I believe in the power of words. Words can lift you up or pull your down; encourage or discourage. Unfortunately, it is the reason so many of us not only struggle with our identity on a daily basis, but also feel so weighed down, and at times shackled.
Think about it this way.
80% of the thoughts you and I have on a daily basis are negative ones, ranging from the things we’ve done / do wrong, our faults and failings, to why we will never get to where we desire or believe we should get to. Unfortunately, for so many, unable to build any defences against such a constant barrage of negativity, it has not only become an accepted norm, but a culture. Is it any wonder so many of us at times feel anxious or overwhelmed?
For many Christians the weight is often double that of others. For the negative thoughts are compounded by a dread of God’s displeasure with them. You know, that feeling that you’re about to be punished as a result of a particular failing or misdeed. This happened to me a few weeks ago. For several days, I felt as though something would go wrong, or things wouldn’t work out, as a result of a fear that I had been disobedient in a particular area of my life. Fortunately, after several days of embracing dread, the Holy Spirit led me to a verse that you and I should always turn to whenever negative thoughts, fear, or guilt rear their ugly heads.
‘For he chose us in him, before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight.’
Ephesians 1 vs 4
There are three things to note here.
1. God chose you to be his child before the world was even created. He is omniscient. He knows the beginning and the end. He’s seen all of your life, including every single one of your failings and mistakes. And yet, he still chose you to be his child.
2. You are holy and blameless in his sight. Not you were holy and blameless in his sight, or will be if you do this or that. ‘You Are’.
3. If you’re holy and blameless in his sight, then it means that he sees absolutely no blemish or fault in you. He is completely at peace with you, loves you just as much as he’s always done, and will always do what’s best for you.
So why continue to shy away from him?
Come back to his loving arms and be rest assured that he’s got your back.
Finally, I want to encourage you to read Ephesians 1 verse 4 aloud to yourself three times every morning. As you do so, just like the plant in the experiment, the weight of negativity and fear will dissipate, and you will begin to flourish.