Speaking Only Positive Things

[Saint Louis]

I had a conversation recently with a woman in which we were discussing some thing she had going on in her life. Nothing real heavy, but something she was dealing with. Kind of abruptly in the middle of saying something, she interrupted herself and said something to the effect of "I want to be careful not to say anything bad that might mess this up - I only want to say positive things that I believe God will do". I thought that was odd... I might have just blown it off had she not been so abrupt about it, but I pursued it a little and found out that she really did think she could "curse" (my word, not hers) her situation by "speaking negatively" about it. We talked about a little more, then I just kind of forgot it.

Until today. I was talking with a brother - he and his wife are struggling with financial and job situations. It's caused some stress and arguing... He was telling me he called her from work last night just to tell her "honey, no matter what, I just want you to know we're going to get through this - it might be hard, we might have to make some sacrifices, but our family will be together." Good, right? Well, she rebuked him for that - his gloominess and negativity and lack of faith! Hard? Sacrifices? Negative talk.

What is going on? I am familiar with something called "positive confession" and also the old "power of positive thinking" thing, but this seems a little different. Honestly, it sounds kind of superstitious. "If I utter something negative, I risk causing it to happen"???

But it seems to be getting quite mainstream. Where does this come from? Is this good? I'm perplexed, because none of this strikes as being from within plain, Bible-believing Christianity, but a lot of Bible-believing Christians (all of my aforementioned friends are Bible-believing Christians and are NOT part of a church that puts this stuff forth) seem to be into it.

Any insights?

Louis

[Hootmon]

The idea of 'positive confession' sounds WoF-ish to me.

[Werner]

It's terrible. It's having faith in faith instead of faith in God. :sigh

It's part of the "Positive Confession" teachings. :fear

[andy]

What they are doing is extreme WOF. They take a biblical premise and twist the meaning. With our tongue we can praise the Lord or speak the truth into someones life (Jesus), we can encourage and lift up those who need help.

OR

We can also say I hate you, there is no God, etc. etc.

There is great power in our words, but they are not a magical incantation to make God act on our behalf. God magnifies His Word above His name, not ours. And who is the Word, Jesus the Living Word.

:wave

[Saint Louis]

The idea of 'positive confession' sounds WoF-ish to me.

And these folks are not part of one of those kind of churches. In fact, I know for sure their pastor is against that stuff and quite capably takes it to task.

I think what hit me hardest is that the brother of which I'm speaking seemed to take a really humble and selfless approach to speaking with his wife, and what should have been a "made-stronger-by-enduring-a-trial-together" moment was ruined by what seems to be corrupted thinking on his wife's part. But I really don't know (which I why I posted).

Louis

[Becky]

Positive Confession is, in fact, one of the doctrinal pillars of Word-Faith theology:
1) Positive Confession: The Theology of the Spoken Word (Rhematology), or thought actualization, is commonly known as positive confession. It stresses the inherent power of words and thoughts. Each person predestines his own future by what he says verbally and by how well he uses spiritual laws. As such, it is as if we live in a mechanistic universe instead of a personal one (see, Kenneth Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, p. 15; Charles Capps, The Tongue A Creative Force, pp. 117-118; Releasing the Ability of God, pp. 98-99, 101-104).

2) The Gospel of Health: Isaiah 53 is used to justify blanket coverage for the physical healing of every Christian who has enough faith. "...it is the plan of our Father God in His great love and His great mercy that no believer should ever be sick, that every believer should live his life full span down here on earth and that every believer should finally just fall asleep in Jesus" (Hagin, Seven Things You Should Know About Divine Healing, p. 21). Hagin also denies having a headache for forty-five years, labeling such as "simply symptoms rather than any indication of a headache" (In the Name of Jesus, p. 44).

3) The Gospel of Wealth: A central tenet of the prosperity gospel is that God wills the financial prosperity of every Christian. If a believer lives in poverty, he/she is living outside God's intended will. "You must realize that it is God's will for you to prosper" (Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, p. 51).

[ginnae]

I think it is from the group who do the "positive confession" stuff. Can't think of the scripture they use at the moment. Something about the tongue and taming it. They give the tongue a lot of power. Anything that comes out of it will manifest.

My former pastor's wife rebuked me when we were in the process of moving to the new church. We were cleaning out the art supplies and I made some comment about what will come next as in what obsticle we will have to go through next.

I thought nothing of it, because that is life. Things come and things go, nothing is easy street. But she got made at me for saying such a thing, that I was confessing that some obstacle will come.

Then my mom once told me how she read ( I think it was Joyce Meyers on controling the tongue) that people shouldn't even call people poor. As in "Poor so and so hurt his leg" She said that we are confessing that that person is poor as in no money. She got on me because I had said that about one of my kids. That I am speaking poorness into their lives and if I keep it up they will live to believe that they are poor as in no money! We weren't even talking money.

Now I know the tongue can do damage and we have to watch what we say. Ex: if I kept calling my kind names and stupid and that he was no good, that is wrong and it does have power. It can really mess with the person who is on the receiving side, but I don't think that everything we sputter out of our mouths is going to bring doom to us.

[Saint Louis]

1) Positive Confession: The Theology of the Spoken Word (Rhematology), or thought actualization, is commonly known as positive confession. It stresses the inherent power of words and thoughts. Each person predestines his own future by what he says verbally and by how well he uses spiritual laws. As such, it is as if we live in a mechanistic universe instead of a personal one (see, Kenneth Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, p. 15; Charles Capps, The Tongue A Creative Force, pp. 117-118; Releasing the Ability of God, pp. 98-99, 101-104).


I think what I see is that this element has somehow gained some mainstream acceptance, whereas the "health and wealth" parts still remain kind of out there in "TV Evangelist World". I know my friends are not into the "Prosperity Gospel", yet they are affected by the "word power" aspect of it. I wonder how that happened...

Louis

[Joel]

yup, it's very true as evidenced by these testimonies. i've seen it myself before with people. it can be very extreme... don't get suckered into thinking along the same line.

[adamis423]

Problem is that they might not say it....but they are thinking it.....Hmmm

[Werner]

I believe there are self-help and psychology books aimed at Christians (sold in most Christian Book Stores) that try and promote this also, and they may not be outright WOF in their presentation. Instead they use human reason and logic to explain how we condition our minds to set ourselves up for success or failure. They talk about how words can be used to shape our perceptions. Like "self-propaganda" for good or ill.

Many people don't realize who all is involved with WOF when they buy these books, or that human logic and reasoning can play right into the same (or similar) beliefs that WOF promotes.

:sigh

[Joel]

Instead they use human reason and logic to explain how we condition our minds to set ourselves up for success or failure.

I think there is a degree of truth in this, however, the extreme we're seeing today isn't right either.

[lookup]

I've unfortunately heard this line of thinking taught before. Amazingly, they actually use the book of Job as one of the Biblical proofs of the power of negative thinking. They take this verse....


Job 3:25
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.

...and twist the rest of the book around to "prove" that Job's misfortunes were things he actually brought on himself. No kidding.

I've also seen persons with this theology bring in their tithes to the church right after they get their paycheck, even if it means bringing it to the church secretary mid-week. The reason? They feel like they will somehow be cursed if they don't.

It is often subtle, but a very real form of bondage from satan, if you ask me.

On the flip side, they seem to equate their positive confession with the same power as God's spoken Word. As in, "God created the heavens and the earth by the spoken word. I am God's child and He gave me authority, therefore, anything I speak will come to pass." Not only is this simply ridiculous, but it is a very short leap before folks start viewing God's written Word on the same level of importance as words spoken by preachers, other spiritual leaders, or even themselves. I shouldn't have to tell you how dangerous that is, or with who the idea originates.

[lookup]

I think there is a degree of truth in this, however, the extreme we're seeing today isn't right either.
It is a common tactic of satan to throw a little truth in with the lie so that the lie will be accepted. And yes, I think much of WOF is satanic in origin.

[Saint Louis]

Obviously what we think and say (the latter being of particular relevance here) has an effect on life. There certainly is value to trying to maintain a positive frame of mind about even difficult circumstances. And the scriptures do tell us about a soft answer turning away wrath, about good words spoken at the right time, about letting our words always be with grace, seasoned with salt, etc.

I think what troubles me here, though, is the mystical power (sorry, I can't think of a better way to say it at the moment) of speaking - the divine power of it, if you will - even speaking accidentally or just into to open air! Like, if I just go around saying "a new, six-figure-salary job is going to fall into my lap", I can make that happen, just with those words. Or I shouldn't say "that surgery is a really tricky procedure", because I might "curse" the surgeons in so doing.

It strikes me as appealing to people's superstitous nature for the sake of selling a few more cheesy books (if indeed that's where this is from).

Louis

[Joel]

You're right Saint. It is superstitious.

[lookup]

Obviously what we think and say (the latter being of particular relevance here) has an effect on life. There certainly is value to trying to maintain a positive frame of mind about even difficult circumstances. And the scriptures do tell us about a soft answer turning away wrath, about good words spoken at the right time, about letting our words always be with grace, seasoned with salt, etc.

I think what troubles me here, though, is the mystical power (sorry, I can't think of a better way to say it at the moment) of speaking - the divine power of it, if you will - even speaking accidentally or just into to open air! Like, if I just go around saying "a new, six-figure-salary job is going to fall into my lap", I can make that happen, just with those words. Or I shouldn't say "that surgery is a really tricky procedure", because I might "curse" the surgeons in so doing.

It strikes me as appealing to people's superstitous nature for the sake of selling a few more cheesy books (if indeed that's where this is from).

Louis


Good points, fellow saint.:):

[Resting In Him]

The WOF (Wolf) and Positive Confession movement has twisted scripture.

Christians have every right to be positive, but not in the way they teach it.

Philippians 4:8-9....Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely; whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

[markofthebest]

It is a common tactic of satan to throw a little truth in with the lie so that the lie will be accepted. And yes, I think much of WOF is satanic in origin.


Was it Lenin that said a lie told often enough becomes truth.....????

[Saint Louis]

What the origins of all of this are, I do not know. But I do know that this wrong doctrine has corrupted this husband-wife relationship, and you certainly can see the enemy's hand in that.

Like I mentioned before, their struggles should be viewed as a trial that God is allowing them to endure. Handled properly, with all humility, selflessness, grace and faith, it should/could be a tremendous time of spiritual growth for them. But this wrong thinking has created a wrong attitude, and now, while I think the brother gets it, the sister (his wife) does not, and so Satan has cunningly undermined their marriage.

I'm having them over this Sunday afternoon. Please pray that they can see this.

Louis

[lookup]

I'm having them over this Sunday afternoon. Please pray that they can see this.

Louis
Praying with you.

[Hootmon]

You seem to have a good grasp of the situation, Louis.