Power-filled Positive Thinking-Chapter 16 B- Type I Error of Life
There has been a huge movement throughout the churches as well as the secular world regarding positive thinking. It is based upon the belief that through positive thinking, we as individuals can achieve great and mighty things. I can transform myself by focusing on only positive thoughts of who I want to be—I can become anyone I choose and become the world’s next rags to riches success if I only believe hard enough. I can face the mirror each morning and tell myself how young, beautiful, amazing, slender, successful, and wonderful I am. The idea being that the mind is a very powerful thing and by performing this type of ritual, I will become the person I have proclaimed myself to be.
The problem with the world’s positive thinking philosophy being, if I need to be continuously propping myself up by telling myself these things; that, in itself is an indicator that there is something broken inside me. I need a power greater than me to transform me and to be my hope.
Kenneth Lay, was considered one of the greatest rags to riches success stories. He was awarded the Horatio Alger’s Award by Norman Vincent Peale who was the reigning President of this prestigious club in 1998. The club was founded by Kenneth Beebe and bestows its honorary award and indictment into membership on those who despite adversity have rose to success—the rags to riches. Kenneth Lay, the founder and CEO of Enron fully believed in positive thinking and never allowing doubt to slow you down. Then Enron, which was built on one man’s optimism, was found to be no more than a “house of cards” which tumbled into bankruptcy taking with it the retirement funds of thousands of people who had been fooled into believing the same false positivism based on nothing but words and fictitious accounting.
In the world of Inferential Statistics, everything begins with the null hypothesis which is the opposite of this positive thinking. It begins with the idea that there is no relationship except that which occurs by random chance. The burden of proof is with the researcher or investigator to prove that to at least a 95% confidence interval, a relationship really does exist which can transform an outcome. There is also something called a TYPE I error where the researcher rejects the null hypothesis when the null hypothesis is true. That was the problem with Enron, the null hypothesis was that there was no real financial stability and security. Kenneth Lay convinced all the investors that there was—a Type I error. To the devastation of many, the null was true even though they rejected it.
That is the innate problem with positive thinking that is based upon my having the power in my own self to transform myself. Deep within me lies the brokenness, the scars, the guilt, the shame, the failures, and the despair which no amount of “white-washing” can transform. If my only hope lies within me; then, I will crumble and fall just like Enron did. Any positive thinking based upon my own power to transform, is a grave TYPE I error. Power in statistics is the ability to reject the null when it is false. There is a relationship with God which was bought and purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ paid for my sins, my guilt, and my shame. He has covered me with His righteousness and is daily working to transform me into His likeness. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is the power that gives me victory over my brokenness. Christ in me, is my hope of Glory. The same is true for you if you know Him as your Savior. “10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8).
This relationship with God, bought by Grace alone, has the power to transform my sorrow into joy, my failures into victory, my brokenness into love, and my darkness into glorious light. The power does not come from me—it comes from the Holy Spirit indwelling me. This is not the prosperity gospel which is built on my selfish earthly desires—this is far, far better. This is hope in the midst of whatever trial comes my way. This is real joy in prosperity and in poverty. This is overwhelming hope on the mountaintop and in the darkest valley. This is what is real, power filled positive thinking. The power to transform me is in the Blood of Christ, shed for me. The Power to give me abundant life, is the power of God, the Father who raised Christ from the dead. The Power to sustain me is the Power of God’s Love as witnessed by the Holy Spirit filling my heart and sealing me as God’s redeemed, chosen, beloved, and blessed child today and throughout eternity.
Listen to this, perhaps one of my favorite hymns (although I do have many). Come Thou Fount
©2015 Effie Darlene Barba
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