As Christians, we are very familiar with prophecy. The Old Testament is filled with prophetic passages that have proven true, including, by some counts, at least 300 relative to Jesus. There appears to be 16 references in Psalm 22 alone. More than 700 years before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah was prophesying the Messiah’s horrible death “pierced through for our transgressions…crushed for our iniquities” Isaiah also named Cyrus 150 years before his birth as a ruler who would allow the Israelites to return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. 16 of the Old Testament books take their names from the prophets who wrote them, and we see many successful prophecies made before those prophets even arrived on the scene.

Unfortunately, many Biblical prophecies were not positive. Moses foresaw the apostacy and captivity of his people. Later prophets also warned the Israelites of disaster that would result from not obeying the Lord. Jesus warned of the fall of Jerusalem. He also told of His return, a yet unfulfilled prophecy that will result in salvation for those who trust in Him, but terrible tragedy for those who don’t.

I want to focus on a different kind of dismal, self-fulfilling prophecy that leads to unfulfilled lives. While I was attending Bible College, I also worked as Juvenile Justice Officer, in Juneau Alaska. Our task was to assist juvenile offenders in recognizing the errors in their thinking that led to destructive life patterns. The goal was to point them towards healthier ways to think and better decisions; to help them realize that bad decisions and poor thinking were the reasons they were in a locked facility. Being a minor inside a locked facility is a drastic change from the freedom of normal life, and can be mentally and emotionally challenging, often resulting in discouragement and depression. This was often demonstrated by expressions of, “What’s the use?” There was a lot of negative self-talk, and thoughts of just giving up.

One aspect of our job was to convince them lockup didn’t have to be the end of their life’s journey. Our encouragement usually started with a warning that negative comments about themselves could become “self-fulfilling prophecy.” In other words, the continued harboring of negative thoughts and bad-mouthing themselves would ensure fears of failure would be realized.

According to https://www.verywellmind.com/ “A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation or belief that can influence your behaviors, thus causing the belief to come true.” Psychologist, Susan Albers of the Cleveland Clinic elaborates, “Self-fulfilling prophecies are a complex phenomenon that involves multiple psychological layers…When you set certain expectations, those expectations can lead you to notice certain things but not pay attention to others. Your mind focuses on details that confirm what you expect.”

Young residents of that Alaskan facility would often claim success was impossible and stress about impending failure, focusing on past misdeeds and perceived weaknesses rather than doing the preparation required to succeed. Their minds were so filled with foreboding thoughts there was no room for hope.

Though “self-fulfilling prophecy” is not specifically found in Scripture, we find a lot of instruction regarding our thinking and attitude. A powerful example of reexamining unpleasant or difficult circumstances is in James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Residents of juvenile facilities are not the only ones to face obstacles. We all can feel the pressure of expectations, and the weight of the challenge grows heavier if we focus exclusively on the problem and possible consequences. Yes, life sometimes leads us to very rough places and tasks we would rather not do, or don’t even feel qualified to do. Whining, self -blame, being enslaved by our emotions is obviously not a solution. Scripture encourages us to follow Paul’s example, “…to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Positive thinking, of course, is not a panacea or cure-all. Jesus has warned us we would be called to sacrifice, and we may fail even when trying our hardest and doing our best. We can’t actually “manifest positive energy” as some might suggest.

Life on this side of eternity is in a fallen world. We can spend all our time bemoaning that fact, or we can choose to serve the Lord. Dwelling on the negative takes time and energy and is unproductive. Let’s adjust our sights and stay honed in on what is pleasing to Him.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)