Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
030621
A Defense Mechanism that likes to blame others for things going wrong.
We begin with our fourteenth “Defense Mechanism” this morning which is (14) Devaluation which is a Defense Mechanism where the person attributes exaggerated negative qualities to self and others. This type of person is always putting self and or others down and is otherwise known as a pessimist. Job’s wife was a pessimist and she looks at things in their lives as being half-empty rather than half-full.
However, in Job’s case, he was an optimist and therefore no matter what life brings, the optimist sees that every negative thing has positive aspects. For example, failure is not falling down, you fail when you don't get back up.
The pessimist needs to learn that failure can be the first step to success. And that falling down does not signify failure but staying there does.
An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
The pessimist sees that negative thinking produces negative thoughts that express negative words.
However, the optimist sees that positive thinking will produce positive thoughts which is usually positive words of edification that we all need to hear every now and then.
EPH 4:29, Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.
There are many believers who are involved with pessimism, which is the tendency to take the most unfavorable view of situations, or to expect the worst outcome in any circumstances. These are not the kind of people you want in your presence; you want those who are positive and say positive things rather than focus in on the negative.
Optimists generally approach life with a positive outlook, while pessimists tend to expect the worst.
They did not realize that Job was an optimists who goes into new situations with high expectations, while pessimists keep low expectations to prepare for negative outcomes. “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
Because a person who sees nothing beautiful in the work of God is not worth our difficulty and every opportunity, especially if they are pessimist. I hope, in the spirit of the optimist to be whom every difficulty is an opportunity, and not as the pessimist, to whom every opportunity presents some difficulty.
This is a time when we need faith, faith of a very definite and positive nature, the faith that will lead us to optimism and contribute to the believer becoming a part of the pivot.
“When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist -- It’s all a matter of perspective.”
Fear and pessimism paralyze men with skepticism and futility. One must have a sense of humor to be an optimist in times like these. The optimist has won half the battle, the most important half that applies to himself, when he begins his approach to a subject with the proper mental attitude. Optimistic thoughts will make your day bright and productive, while pessimistic thinking will make it dull and wasteful.
Face each day cheerfully and courageously, and it will naturally follow that your work will be a real pleasure and progress will be a delightful accomplishment.
PSD #4, Grace orientation, PSD #8, Impersonal love for all mankind would solve this problem.
(15) Displacement is a defense mechanism which attaches to a neutral object mental consents which were originally attached to someone or something else.
This is when a person starts falling in love with their boat or their car or their animals because they were hurt by someone else or because they want to fulfill a certain need they once had!
PSD #5, Doctrinal orientation, PSD #6, A personal sense of destiny, would solve this problem.
(16) Hypochondria is a defense mechanism where the person becomes preoccupied with physical symptoms disproportionate to any actual physical disturbance.
The pain can even be very real to these people.
PSD #5, Doctrinal orientation, PSD #6, A personal sense of destiny, PSD #7, Personal love for God the Father, PSD #10, Occupation with Christ as the priority solution to life would solve this problem.
(17) Direct attack is a defense mechanism in which anger is used as a solution to the problems and frustrations of life.