Letting Go of the Negatives: A Happy Christian Book Review #FCBlogger

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

This is a great verse isn't it?

The idea of focusing our attention on the positives rather than the negatives is a wonderful thought. In theory at least! But in practice? Well, that's just a little bit harder! We are bombarded with negative messages everywhere we look. Oh sure, there are positive stories as well, but they seem to receive much less attention.

Unless you've been living under a rock, chances are you've been reading a lot about the RFRA lately. If your social media feeds looked anything like mine, it was overwhelming. I won't go into the politics of the whole ordeal, but I will share what I saw in the aftermath... which was a LOT of negativity. Comments being made about ALL Christians being bigots and hateful. Comments about ALL people living in Indiana being the same. Christians in Indiana? The worst. Now, as a Christian born, raised and living in Indiana, you can imagine how this made me feel. Though I know my heart and know this these things aren't true of myself, I could not help but to be personally insulted. Though I tried to ignore it and focus my mind on more positive things like the Easter holiday, I must admit that I would still find myself feeling upset every time it would turn up again. It really put a damper on things!

But that's kind of the way it is, isn't it? Those negative stories tend to take up much more of our attentions than they deserve. As easy as it is to say, 'Don't worry, be happy'... it's a lot harder to live it.  How do we as Christians truly lead that life? This is just what David Murray discusses in 'The Happy Christian'.

In The Happy Christian, professor and pastor David Murray blends the best of modern science and psychology with the timeless truths of Scripture to create a solid, credible guide to positivity. The author of the acclaimed Christians Get Depressed Too, Murray exposes modern negativity’s insidious roots and presents ten perspective-changing ways to remain optimistic in a world that keeps trying to drag us down. 

Even though hopelessness and negativity has invaded much of culture, including the church, Christians have resources to live differently. The Happy Christian invites readers to shed negativity and become counter cultural missionaries by demonstrating the positive power of the gospel in their lives.

What I loved most about this book was that it was not just a repetition of Bible verses telling us to be happy. (In fact, in one part he talks about doing just that...and how it just doesn't realistically work.) Instead it looks at both biblical teachings as well as psychological studies to really give the full picture. It doesn't just give you the instruction to 'just be happy' or guilt you into thinking you are less of a Christian for falling into the negativity trap. It acknowledges that it is not as simple as that, but goes deeper into the topic to truly help you to overcome it.

If you are looking for a fresh perspective to live as a 'Happy Christian', this book certainly offers some great food for thought! It is a great resource to help us live a more positive life, and let the light of God shine through us among the negativity all around us. It is available to purchase now at Family Christian.

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