Optimistic Faith
- Details
- Category: Emotional Wholeness
- Hits: 15718
A Call to Optimism
The Lord calls His people out of a life of discouragement and into a life of optimistic faith. Pessimism/discouragement cause one to be spiritually blind which in turn prevents victorious Christian living. Discouragement distorts the Gospel by robbing it of its power; it makes the promises of God have no effect. Chronic discouragement is so destructive that, in addition to destroying our faith, it can make us physically and/or emotionally sick.
Discouragement will not allow one to believe God for its very nature is to deny the Word and its power. Discouragement will not allow God's people to live, think, or pray, in ways that bring them freedom. Pessimism always destroys faith for it skews the face of God.
There is no peaceful co-existence with discouragement. It is like trying to live with Goliath who daily accused and opposed the Lord and His people. The only way to deal with these faith stealing giants is to take their head! David, by the power of God, took Goliath's head and if we will war in the Name of the Lord, then like David, we can defeat the giants that attempt to steal our life. The Gospel is more powerful than any giant we will ever meet, inward or outward, and God promises His people victory over every giant that would bring them into spiritual bondage. We believe for the best because God is on our side and He is fighting for us. If God be for us who can be against us!
God is our example of how to live and how to think. One thing is for sure - He is neither discouraged nor pessimistic about life. Through Christ, God has redeemed His people from the power and dominion of sin and He (not the devil) now rules over their lives. He (God) is not discouraged about the condition of the World and He repeatedly tells His people to not be discouraged about their individual difficulties but rather be encouraged about His power working in and for them.
We face all kinds of problems and the Lord responds to them all by telling us to stop worrying and start praying. He tells us to commit everything to His care for we have been purchased by blood and we now belong to Him personally. Because we are His personal possession He is actively watching over and caring for us. We are told to bring our individual needs to Him in prayer, for our prayers bring Him into the very circumstances for which we pray.
Pessimism has many faces but it is easy to recognize for it always finds a way to deny that real change is possible. Its very nature is to deny the Word and the power of God; it cannot, and will not, believe.
Optimism is about seeing God and believing that He can do what He has promised to do. With human eyes there may be no answers to our circumstances but optimism sees with Gods eyes and believes He will hear and answer our prayers. From Genesis to Revelation the Lord asks His people to see Him, not with their understanding, but with His. And this is the problem with chronic discouragement - it will not allow us to see life with His eyes.
Paul said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This is a good example of an optimistic faith and the truths of redemption empower each one of us to have the same kind of faith. The Lord denies neither the difficulties of our present circumstances nor the personal pain we face. However, to have a faith that sees God, we must step out of discouragement and into optimism, seeing the hand of God over every circumstance.
The Lord lives forever, His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. This is what Daniel 4:34 tells us. If we can see the ruling hand of God over all of life, then we can live, and pray, and overcome, in the power of an optimistic faith.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.
Blessings,
Jim
If you wish to make a comment I may be reached at:
