A Bible verse about optimism:
“When Jesus Spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12
This morning, I read this verse today for the verse of the day. I reread it a few times as I found myself thinking, “What does He mean by saying the ‘light of life?’”
I believe that the answer to that is hope; perhaps most demonstrable of hope is an attitude of optimism.
We all know people who are optimistic; those who never let their situation or circumstances dictate their outlook on life. They are the proverbial “glass half full” kind of people.
I believe that the root of that optimism is simply hope and trust in God. If we trust God, then it’s easy to hope for that which He has promised us. And when we have hope, it’s easier to remain optimistic in spite of our current struggles.
Therefore, no matter what trouble life brings our way, we can remain optimistic; we have the light of life.
Perhaps, that’s what is so ironic.
You see, for every optimistic person we know, perhaps we know 5 pessimistic people as well. There’s a good chance that you and I are those pessimistic people.
I know that I have, for the better part of my life, certainly been pessimistic. Even though the Bible clearly tells us in Proverbs 23, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he,” it wasn’t until I read Think and Grow Rich and You Can if You Think You Can that I truly began to understand.
Most of the reason I was pessimistic was because I thought “Nothing good ever happens to me. The only luck I have is bad luck.”
I expected bad things to happen, and that’s what I got. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even in the “good times,” I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
In order for things to turn around, we need to first change our view on life. We need to become those optimistic people, in every circumstance. In order to demonstrate this, let me offer an example.
After I read those books, I was changed. I saw how my negative thinking was getting in the way, and I vowed to become more positive.
It worked. Very clearly, it worked. My view on my situation changed, and the results of every problem got better. Until they didn’t.
You see, every time, the same thing would happen. A few weeks of positivity, then some circumstance, and I’d fall into my old way of thinking. Without fail.
The trouble is, it’s difficult to stay optimistic. I would surmise that the more optimistic you are, the more trouble you really go through to test your optimism. It’s much easier to just remain negative.
But then, we don’t have the light.
Being an optimistic person is a work in progress. It’s something that we continually have to strive for until it becomes engrained within us.
When trouble faces me, I still have to take a step back and think objectively, “How will I respond to this trouble?” Will I retain the trust I have in God and remain hopeful that He will see me through it? Or, will I return to my old way?
If you haven’t already, I implore you to read those two books that I mentioned. They have done wonders in helping me see how to be optimistic and positive, and I am certain they can and will help you as well.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.