Faith & Optimism

I read an article this morning about the current state of pessimism in America. More and more people are trending away from optimism about the future of our nation. Granted, many in our culture tie their sense of optimism to what they see in the political sphere. Yet, I find myself feeling the incredible pull toward negativity and pessimism.

I talked about this a few weeks ago to our congregation in a message from 2 Peter. My wife and I had been talking earlier that week about faith and optimism. We asked the question, “Is it possible to be pessimistic without faith?” I believe the answer is, “No.” If a person is going to walk by faith, they have to have hope for the future. In fact, if we believe God is truly in control, shouldn’t that lead us to optimism?

Christians should be people who are filled with faith and, by extension, optimism. Now, am I optimistic about the future because I have faith in our politicians? Absolutely not. If optimism is going to be built into my life, I know that I have to find reasons for hope and optimism elsewhere. The reality is that the only place we will continually find reason for optimism is in Christ. As the old hymn declares,

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

The Apostle Paul expressed his optimism for the future by encouraging us to continue in the God’s work with resolute conviction and persistence. He said, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) If we maintain this kind of hope and optimism, living out our faith each day with our attention fixed on the Lord, then we will truly be beacons of light in the darkness of our culture. So, what can we do to build some fresh optimism into our lives?

First, guard your intake. What are you taking in each day? If you are glued to the news and media, you will eventually feel the drawdown of energy, hope, optimism, and faith in your life. If you are taking in large amounts of entertainment (sports, video games, movies, TV binge watching, and the like), then you will struggle to build faith and remain optimistic. As the old adage says, “Garbage in, garbage out.” I would challenge you to make sure your intake points you to Christ. Read and listen to the bible more than ever. Change the substance of your intake where necessary to insure that your intake fuels you with life from the living Word of God

Second, guard your mouth. If you consistently speak negatively and pessimistically, you will never move to the side of faith and optimism. But, as you speak optimistically and allow faith to fill your words, you will experience a greater level of optimism about the future. Jesus said, “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”( Matthew 12:34–35) What is filling your heart? The answer to that question will reveal what your speech patterns are like.

It is important to recognize the need for self-control in all of this as well. The scriptures teach that self-control is an evidence of God’s work in our lives (Galatians 5:23). And they also teach that the tongue cannot be controlled with God’s help. Only He can tame our tongue. (James 3:1-12) We need God to help us speak life and optimism into our world.