Negativity is all around us. Whenever you look at the newspaper or turn on the T.V., it seems like there is always something bad to talk about. There are also people who spend most of their waking hours complaining and speaking negative words about everything and everybody. No matter what you say, they always have something negative to say. If you say, “it’s sunny outside,” they say, “I heard it’s supposed to rain.” Negative people have a way of draining you of all your energy and expectations. Whenever you end a conversation with them, you feel exhausted.

The most active negative person usually turns it up when you start to dream and wonder about a brighter tomorrow for you and your family. This is when they let you know that you can't make it and how no one in your family has ever done anything like that. 

How you handle negative people will determine where you go in life and how fast you will get there. Make up in your mind today to not let negative people keep you from receiving all that God has for you.

Here are 3 methods to shut down negative people:

Keep Quiet

“Never argue with a fool. From a distance people won’t be able to tell the difference.”

When negative people come into our view, it is very challenging to keep our mouths shut. In fact, some people think that it’s almost impossible to do. At the very least, it will take a lot of discipline to be able to hold your tongue when someone attempts to discredit you and your dream. While it is very tempting to answer every critic, not every person deserves an answer.

If we are patient, we will give the Lord an opportunity to answer the negative people in our lives.

“The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent." Exodus 14:14

Don’t ever feel like God is taking too long to bring you to your destiny. Don’t ever let negative people talk you into speaking out of turn. God’s desire is for you to experience victory. Very often you will find yourself wanting to defend the process you are going through. Let God’s ability do the talking for you.

Keep Still

The bible talks often about “Do not be troubled,” “Do not be shaken,” and “Do not be anxious.”

In moments that are full of tension and pressure there is a tendency to be nervous or frigidity. We have a need to make something happen. What we may need to do is wait.

Negative people will often attempt to cast us as losers. Our lack of movement is seen as a lack of confidence. It seems like we have lost our momentum and the logical conclusion is that things may not be in the cards for us. They believe that if we were going to make it, we would have made it by now.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

When you know who God is, you realize that He will fulfill every promise that he made to you. Knowing Him will give you the understanding that He is willing to act on your behalf. Knowing Him is accepting the fact that He will never leave you or forsake you. These beliefs go far past what your circumstances say or what negative people try to flood your ears with.

Keep Moving

One of the greatest weapons that negative people use is fear. They try their best to convince you that they are right. They want you to second-guess God and yourself. They want you to pay attention to the long list of failures that litter your past. They want to make you nervous at all of the news reports and statistics that say that your dream is impossible. They use all of these things to keep you from your destiny. It’s almost like they can sense your progression and the only way to stop you is by throwing whatever distraction that they can come up with in your path.

This is the perfect time for you to develop perseverance.

“…the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:3

So take every comment and word from negative people like the fitness pro treats a treadmill or weight machine. Use them as tools to make yourself stronger. Their words will serve as a reminder to you of how big your God is and how much He loves you. You are capable of achieving much more than what negative people think.

Negative people will always be around to tell you what can’t be done. They are like this because their vision is limited or distorted. They can’t see how any positive can be in your future. The good news is that they don’t see it because they can’t control it. God has given you the dream and the vision to see it. He has placed this inside of you and He intends for you to make it happen, with His help.

Negative people should not be used as a stopping point but as a stepping-stone to your destiny.