Sometimes the outcome of our labour is not what we expected.  Failure is like a miscarriage and can bring great discouragement, but in the Lord, it is a great opportunity to carefully examine and adjust ourselves.

Negativity

Amongst all the reasons we have discussed, there is one reason that cause more setback in our lives than anything else, and that is negativity.  Negativity is a destructive force that can undermine your faith, derail purpose, and disrupt God’s plans for your life. 

In Numbers 13-14 we observe an assignment with a success rate of less than17%.  Out of twelve spies sent to evaluate the land, ten of them returned with a negative report.  They exaggerated challenges presented to them instead of recognising opportunities to represent Almighty God.  They saw themselves as powerless “grasshoppers,” and questioned God’s leadership, even seeking to return to Egypt.   Their negativity quickly spread like wildfire and instilled hopelessness, fear, and rebellion among the Israelites. This negativity caused them to complain, criticize Moses, and dishonour their leaders, which ultimately resulted in God’s judgment and their exclusion from the promised land. In contrast, Caleb and Joshua, who maintained a positive perspective, recognised that God was with them and that the land was theirs to take.  Their different spirit of trust and courage led to their reward, as they were allowed to enter the promised land.  God said that they will possess the land – God is not a man that He should lie, His Word is yes and amen!

Apostolic believers are called to invade new cities and nations, to spy out the land.  Like Moses sent the twelve, Jesus sent the twelve in John 20.  In the same way we appoint leaders and sent them for the work of the ministry.  The nations are our inheritance.  We must reject the spirit of the world—marked by negativity, complaints, and dishonour to leadership.  Your dominion is connected to your assignment.  Many progress to this point but fail dismally as negativity being to set in.  

Negativity will strangle your perception of yourself, God, your spiritual father and your assignment.  Instead of food you see an enemy.  You see the thorns and not the roses.  You see Goliath instead of David.  You see Mary’s son instead of the Lamb of God.  Like the Pharisees you strain out a gnat and swallow the camel – you focus on the minors instead of the weightier matters and you create problems instead of solutions.

In ministry, we cannot build with those who perpetually undermine, complain, or create problems; we must align with those who see opportunities, trust God’s promises, trust our leaders, and stand firm in faith.  Our negativity erodes our faith, creates hopelessness in others, and ultimately cause us to fail.  

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. – Philippians 2:14-15