Outshine

Recently, I’ve been focusing on this principle:

When I focus on negative things, more negative things tend to happen. And trying to stop them only makes it worse.

For example, let’s take a habitual sin going on in my life: Phone addiction.

How do I approach this? Usually, I focus on not using my phone as much. Seems simple enough, but it doesn’t really work for me.

My solution used to be this: Do the negative thing less. But I’ve found an even stronger approach that has begun to play itself out in my life, especially in the past year:

Focus on something good enough to outshine the bad.

In my regular approach to my phone addiction, I didn’t confront the underlying issue of why this sin is there in the first place. There was never any actual change happening.

But as my desire to do/focus on something good increased, my desire to use my phone excessively decreased.

Although the phone addiction example paints a messy picture, this concept is most clearly portrayed in the most important aspect of my life:

My faith.

Instead of focusing on sinning less, I want to start focusing on Jesus more. And the light of Christ can outshine any sin that I struggle with.

Theologian Thomas Chalmers explains this concept in his book titled The Explosive Power of a New Affection. My habitual sins can be outshined by a new affection… and this new affection is Christ.

And as I grow in my relationship with him, these lesser affections (e.g. phone addiction) have started to go away. This is because I am growing in my knowledge and love for him.

The journey is very bumpy with ups and downs, but this idea has been super interesting to look into and unravel.

To the glory of the Father, in the name of the Son, by the breath of the Spirit.

God bless you,

Trevor