I don't think anything is as draining as dealing with negativity. It sucks the life out of you. Lots of people are negative, some without being aware that they are negative. I think the twelve spies sent by Moses are a microcosm. Ten were negative and two were positive. I think that is how it breaks down in most churches and ministries.
There is such a fine line between healthy processing of legitimate frustrations and negative venting that doesn't serve any redeeming purpose. It takes maturity and depth to process. It just takes a bad thought and a negative emotion to vent. And venting is simply spilling toxins from the heart. It is damaging to relationships.
Besides, negativity is ten times as contagious as positivity! It's so easy for things to spiral downward. It's the human condition. It's emotional entropy!
So how do you arrest negativity and put it in handcuffs and throw it in jail?
Just call it like you see it. "Hey guys, it seems like there is some negativity happening here. Let's deal with it if it needs to be dealt with, but I don't want us to get derailed. So let's disagree if we must but please don't disengage." Then NAME THE EMOTIONS behind the negativity. Locate the seat of emotions.
Also, negativity is best dealt with privately and sometimes "ex post facto." You've got to do a post mortem. You've got to let someone know that they are "bringing the morale of the group down to their level." Most people are totally unaware of how their negative emotions affect others. And no one tells them!
My eyes have been trained to catch anyone yawning during a meeting. It communicates two non-verbal messages to me - I'm tired or I'm bored. Neither one is acceptable! You ought to come to a meeting fresh and healthy and you ought to come to a meeting to inspire and be inspired. Otherwise, your tiredness, sleepiness, boredom, detachment and disengagement will affect the morale of the team.
One negative thought I had to deal over the years as a pastor is this; lots of pastors hear this one from people who want their needs meet. "I'm not sure we should focus on reaching more people for Christ because we need our congregation to mature." Now that is a false dichotomy. There is no such provision made in scipture that we should stop doing the great commission because we need to mature spiritually.That is negative thinking: oh, let's disobey God so we can grow up. Let's stop evangelizing so we can be discipled. That makes zero sense.
We need to help negative people see through their false perception or assumption that is making them negative.
One final thought: The only way to overcome negativity is with positivity!
