Optimism or Pessimism

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Prov 17:22.

Optimism and pessimism are all about a battle of attitudes. Is the glass half empty or half full? Is half gone or half left? Do you see the donut or the hole? There are many comparisons we make to determine if someone is an optimist or pessimist, and it seems as if more and more people are leaning toward pessimism these days. The general attitude appears to be more about doubt and skepticism. Are we that jaded or has our society and world become so filled with humanistic rhetoric that we have trouble trusting?

Are you a fault finder? Do you give more criticism than praise? Are you more inclined to expect the worst? Then you're a pessimist. When you think the bad outweighs the good in our world, your attitude needs adjusting. If life is always unfair, you're not a hopeful person. A solid sign of joy-filled Christianity is having hope for the future no matter what all the humans are doing. I'm not suggesting a "don't worry, be happy" attitude, but Christians should be able to see some good in our world.

Do you look for the positive in everyone and in each situation? Do you have a daily presence of joy? Do you anticipate the best possible outcome? Then you're an optimist. Even when things seem bad, you can look with hope to the future. The major difference here is the presence of hope in the heart. Biblical hope is more than a wish, it has substance. It can and will sustain us through the worst of the world's evils. It doesn't mean we've got our heads stuck in the clouds, but we don't despair because we have hope in our Lord.

According to the proverb we read, we each have a choice in how we look at things. Both sides of the issue point toward how our attitude affects our health. The bad side, the pessimistic one, is that " a crushed spirit dries up the bones." To be crushed is to be broken because of being whipped and beaten. If our spirit has been crushed, we're really hurting. Anyone who's lost hope is in great pain, most of the time lacking the resolve to push through and overcome.

Being dry here refers to being withered away or shriveled up. All the moisture, all the living water has evaporated and left nothing to nourish our parched souls. The major problem here is that this condition is more the result of our personal attitude than the effects of being mistreated or worn down. It's often built up on the accumulated slights and hurts others have caused us which we've chosen to hold onto instead of forgiving and finding relief and release.

Optimism and pessimism are choices. Christians aren't supposed to be casual and apathetic about what goes on around them. We have real hope, in a real Savior. It's not wishful thinking when we have the eternal and all-powerful God to rely on. The optimist knows we'll have good and bad days, and looks to our heavenly Father for love and understanding to sustain him or her. Optimism is filled with faith and trust that keeps us from the depression that so many unbelievers get caught up in.

Pessimism is filled with doubts, even doubts about Yahweh. Pessimism doubts that even the Creator can overcome the evil in our world. Continue to criticize and find fault all the time and all you do is dig a deep pit to get yourself stuck in. Alter your moods with chemicals and illegal drugs and eventually you're addicted to them. Try to let alcohol soothe your hurts and you end with other drunks as your only friends. None of these ways leads to a good end.

A pessimist will never have a truly good time. Even if they're having fun for a time, they're actually waiting for something bad to happen to ruin the day. I'm not a name it and claim it kind of guy, but if you continue to speak evil, eventually it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we continue to speak evil and doubt and fear, we'll end up reaping those very things in our lives. The regular things we speak have a way of coming to pass because we'll move ourselves in the direction of what we've been speaking. Also we'll only be looking for the bad things to come to pass.

On the other hand, "a cheerful heart is good medicine." To be cheerful is to be filled with gladness and delight. It's the Hebrew word for being a merrymaker. It's a person who chooses to enjoy life, who looks for the best outcomes, who works to try to cheer up even the sourpuss pessimists. I believe Yahweh would much prefer for us to have this kind of attitude. An optimist takes the evil and pain and suffering of this world seriously, but doesn't let it consume them. They live in the real world dealing with real situations. They just have a vision of the future that keeps them from being depressed and gloomy.

When we look at the Hebrew word for medicine we find some good words. It means either the cure, or that which promotes healing. Its root is the word for healing. So having a cheerful outlook doesn't just have us looking through rose-colored glasses and denying reality, it promotes and brings healing. Choosing to be a joyful person will heal a broken heart, mend fractured emotions, and promote healthy living. A true optimist can be in pain and because of their vision for the future they still have Yahweh's joy.

Optimism is filled with hope, especially hope in our heavenly Father. When the world we're living in is dark and dangerous, we look to the Light of the World to illuminate our path. Look on the bright side and expect good things, and Yahweh will fill you with his peace. Continue to praise and build up other people, and eventually they may even believe you. Jesus told the disciples to be optimists in John 16:33. " I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Optimists have a lot of good times. Even if bad things happen they know Yahweh is at work to bring blessing. I think the main difference is that optimists look to Yahweh and pessimists look to other humans for answers. Given the sinful nature of mankind, that primarily means a pessimist will always be let down eventually, while the optimist will always be lifted up and blessed in the end.

The best way to become an optimist is to fill your head with the powerful words of Scripture. 2 Cor 10:5 is one we should all become better acquainted with. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ." When we hear something that begins to make us doubt our Lord and Master, we need to fight by not allowing that to happen. We can control what we think about. We don't have to dwell on all the bad news. We don't have to be overly concerned with the troubles and pain. We can radically hold onto the peace Jesus has provided for us.

The wisdom of men and the lies of the devil aren't more powerful than the real knowledge of our Creator and his Truth. Your mind doesn't have to get stuck on the fearful things you hear may happen. These are our thoughts, our attitudes, our perceptions. Instead of justifying and defending them, we need to reject the ugly and bad ones, seeking the hope and peace found in Jesus. We don't have to allow the darkness to scare us. We don't have to let pessimism fill us with fretting and worry. We can choose to think about the beautiful and wonderful things our Lord and Savior has in store for us.

We need to check and discern whether or not our thoughts and attitudes conform to the image portrayed in the Bible. The ones that don't conform must be captured and crucified. We have the Holy Spirit living in us, working to transform us and use us for eternal purposes. It's up to us to maintain clear thinking about the future, that Yahweh is in full control and will watch over and protect those who fear him and follow Jesus. Keep cleaning your house and getting rid of the junk the world wants you to store. One cleaning is never enough because we continue to live in this world and continue to encounter worry and doubt and confusion.

Optimists know there's a tomorrow coming where we can make up for any mistakes or oversights. Yahweh always gives us a second and third and more chances to do what's right. As far as we know, tomorrow's coming and we can say "I love you" or "I'm sorry" or whatever needs to be said. But optimists also are trying to make sure that today doesn't pass by without being filled with good words and kind actions. Remember, having a cheerful heart, an optimistic outlook, is the cure for much of what ails us.

It's true that becoming truly happy with yourself can be difficult. Knowing you need your Lord to help you is extremely important. However, the main thing is to get as close to your Lord and Savior as you can. If this is your first priority, many other things will fall into place where they should. Without a solidly intimate relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit; you're stuck with your own abilities. We need to seek Yahweh and trust him, as strongly as we can. We need to build up a regular contact so that his voice is easily recognizable even amid the noise and confusion this world can cause.

Don't wait until you get to Heaven to enjoy the presence of your Lord. Let his joy minister health and strength to your bones right now. Let his hope color the way you look to the future. What's waiting for us over the horizon is absolutely stunning. Be a bright light drawing attention to your source. Keep yourself solidly attached to Yahweh's Word and receive the benefits found in Prov 4:22. "They are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body."

Blessings & Peace, Mike