TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Elder Chris Beltran

Toxic positivity is the excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy and optimistic state in any situation that causes denial and invalidation or overly minimizes genuine human emotional experience. When people exhibit toxic positivity, they deny any negative experiences that make us human and live their lives this way. We are so wrapped up in a world of staying positive that we are often ashamed to feel anything else.

Our passage today reminds us that there is a time for everything: a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to be silent and a time to speak. If we try to mix it up, the results will become disastrous to the person experiencing the grief.

The best thing to do as a friend, relative, or even pastor is to be there in their time of need. Instead of saying those popular self-help phrases, we can use some of these suggested phrases: “You can depend on me to be here and pray for you,” “It must be hard. Tell me about it,” or “Anytime you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

By saying these, we are giving genuine empathic concern for the total well-being of the person. For non-believers, this can also be an opportunity to let them see a loving, caring, gentle, kind, and compassionate Christ in us.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, please help us to embrace and trust in Your perfect timing, finding joy in the different seasons, knowing that You have a purpose for each one. And as we seek to discern what is helping or hurting, may Your wisdom and guidance be our compass as we grow and help others. May we determine the paths that lead us closer to You and away from those that hinder our walk of faith. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.