Toxic positivity: a form of living by the law
Sometimes we believers mistakenly believe that just because we don't live in a dry and boring religious church culture full of rules and regulations, we would be far from legalism.
However, living by law means to set anything as a standard for me to fulfill to see myself as good and worthy enough. This is where toxic positivity steps in. Something that I have also seen myself to fallen into sometimes.
Wikipedia defines toxic positivity as:
“Toxic positivity… …is dysfunctional emotional management without the full acknowledgment of negative emotions, particularly anger and sadness… …Toxic positivity is a "pressure to stay upbeat no matter how dire one's circumstance is", which may prevent emotional coping by feeling otherwise natural emotions. Toxic positivity happens when people believe that negative thoughts about anything should be avoided. Even in response to events which normally would evoke sadness, such as loss or hardships, positivity is encouraged as a means to cope, but tends to overlook and dismiss true expression.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_positivity
Spiritualizing toxic positivity is to believe that in order for me to be qualified for God and to be in His presence, I always need to be as cheerful and positive as possible first. According to this belief God wouldn't listen to my prayers or even notice me if I would show any negativity. Negativity would mean complaining, which in turn would mean I would stard been a victim.
Instead of focusing on Jesus, focus shifts to myself and "fake it 'till you make it" attitude, where experiencing natural emotions such as weariness, sadness, frustration and anger (which, by the way, even Jesus experienced) would be signs of my failure. To experience these emotions would be me admitting to myself that "I am not good enough."
Gospel is about God who has already made me worthy, not through myself, but through Jesus' work on the cross. As a child of God, I now have 24/7 free access to the presence of my Father just as I am. Either successful or failed. Positive or negative. This is the good news that gives me extreme joy and freedom!
"… for the joy of the Lord is your strenght."
Nehemiah. 8:10 (NIV)
Exactly! "Joy of the Lord" and not "my joy".
Jesus paid a high price for me to have a full fellowship and access to the Father. It is part of my heritage as His child. I am going to make the most of that freedom by coming before Him as positive as well as broken, disappointed, sad, or angry, all so that God the Father would have all that He paid the full price for by giving Jesus to the cross. Because He paid to know me fully, and not just when I’m at my best.
My job is to come before Him as real as possible, and then He is the one who lifts me above my sorrows and gives me a joy beyond my natural understanding.
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
John 4:24 (NIV)
Yeeeehaaaaw!!
Follow the freedom!!