Disciple Up # 286
Positive & Negative Energy
By Louie Marsh, 11-29-2022
Dear Louie Marsh,
My name is Xavier. I am emailing you as I been meaning to bounce some ideas off you and wanting to hear some truth and depth to them. First, I apologize for how long it took to get this going as I am a double major student, step-father/father (however you want to put it haha), and I am playing basketball professionally in Armenia away from my family. I listen to your podcast when I feel I need encouragement or guidance. Recently though I been finding myself more in tune with who I am needed to become and willing to accept the challenges. I am 28 years old and excited with my journey in the Lord so far.
My subject title “Positive and Negative” came a few months back when I was with my sister in law and heard she doesn’t believe in negative energy or negative forces but says positive energy is real. She isn’t one to believe in the Word. But she isn’t one to just ignore it. I feel that the childhood her and my wife were brought into was a blinded truth and left in darkness. I have been working with my wife on her own discipleship but this is besides the point haha.
Anyway, I am curious, what is there that proves negative energy/forces do exist? Where am I able to show this? Explain more in depth how they work. In a sense of how one knows it’s a positive or negative influence upon them. I have tried to show with actions and not words as this side of the family is much more about the actions. But I believe if having words with my actions align then the course of light will dim on them more and allow them to find a truth by following the light.
I believe, after just listening to your stewardship part 5 on children, ministry, and weakness, that my gift is to help with action. I am a huge go getter in terms of achieving. I have had many downfalls but I’ve had many successions. For one addiction. Two being patient. These are just a couple of downfalls I have very strongly yet lead to even greater achievements. Which aren’t even my accolades.
I hope this is something you’re willing to share and talk about. I apologize again for my long await and for the word email.
Feel free to email me and just know I’m always listening!
Peace be with you.
Thank you,
Dear Xavier,
Thanks so much for writing – twice in one week! That’s a big encouragement! Oh, by the way, this is my personal email address. It’s just easier to answer from here so that’s what I usually do.
Sorry it’s taking me so long to get back to you but things around here are keeping me busy. As a Father, husband and basketball player I’m sure you know all about that. So this e-mail will just focus on your question about positive and negative energy and I’ll cover some of the rest in another one. I’m also thinking about making this a subject of a podcast soon.
You asked: “Anyway, I am curious, what is there that proves negative energy/forces do exist? Where am I able to show this? Explain more in depth how they work. In a sense of how one knows it’s a positive or negative influence upon them. I have tried to show with actions and not words as this side of the family is much more about the actions. But I believe if having words with my actions align then the course of light will dim on them more and allow them to find a truth by following the light.”
Notice I put parts of what you wrote in bold, because you are really asking two (at least) different questions here. The first one is does positive or negative energy exist? That’s a good question since so many people just assume they do in fact exist. When you talk to them about it they’ll reference times when they felt positive or negative energy from someone or something as proof of this. But is it true?
My answer is a hard no. There’s nothing in the Bible nor science to prove or even suggest that people can somehow transmit any kind of energy between us. You’ll notice that unlike our current culture the Bible doesn’t talk about positive or negative at all. The Bible focuses us on what’s true and false. This is critical because the truth can often feel (and even be) negative, while what’s false often feels very, very good, at least at first (ask anyone addicted to anything).
So how do we explain these feelings? For example when you stand up before a crowd to perform, as you do in basketball and I work before crowds when I speak, you often feel approval and support, or disapproval and a lack of support. Many people will say that’s positive or negative energy that’s being transmitted to them. Many musicians often say they are carried along by the positive energy of their audience, or they can be brought down by the negative energy they feel.
So what’s happening if science and the Bible are right and there’s no energy moving around here? It’s very simple actually. You can get a good reading on whether or not the people in the audience are in favor of you or not by their body language and what they say of course. Then you react to this and if you’re feeling support that opens up your adrenal glands and you feel that sudden surge of energy. If you were receiving other people’s energy you wouldn’t feel so drained after a performance. But most of the time we do because we are drawing upon our adrenal reserves and once those are exhausted we need rest.
There’s no positive or negative energy involved at all. Just the human reaction to being supported or not supported. It’s really quite simple when you look at it from a factual point of view.
Now that doesn’t mean you can’t and shouldn’t be a good influence on others (your second question). I do want to be a good witness to others and to be as supportive of them as I can be. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if I’m succeeding at that or not. I think the best way to know for sure is to either watch them closely and see how they respond to your efforts or just ask them! That way you’ll know for sure what they think.
So I hope this has helped you a bit. Let me know if I’ve missed the point or have been unclear. I’d like to know what you think of all this.
God bless you and keep on walking with Jesus!
but test everything; hold fast what is good. – 1 Thess. 5:21
