Apostle Paul: Bonafide Optimist

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10

After reading this verse, I’d say that Paul was a bonafide optimist…a forward-looking man on a mission for God, no matter what.

Shouldn’t every Christian be an optimist?
I mean, if we truly believe that God is in control and allows every trial to grow our faith and develop spiritual fruit, then how could there ever be a Christian pessimist?

I don’t know, but there are many “Eeyore Christians” who live under perpetual rain clouds and mope their way through life...that’s been me, on more than one occasion.

Here are six reasons not to be a pessimist, or even hang around with a pessimist…

#1 – Pessimists can kill your faith.
They only function on the known bad news but refuse to consider that God has a reason for their trials. We’re supposed to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7)

#2 – Pessimists are selfish.
It’s all about them. When their desires aren’t met, they consider that a personal slap in the face. They can’t imagine how God might be denying THEM in order to better SOMEONE ELSE who has a greater need. Such humility is rarely in the playbook.

#3 – Pessimists don’t rehearse God’s promises. They aren’t willing to train their mind to accept failure in light of God’s promises. They usually only accept God’s promises in light of personal success.
But we must always know and stand on His promises, whether we have success or not.

#4 – Pessimists are impatient.
If everything’s gone wrong in the last minute, hour, day, or year…then why wait longer to let it all get worse?
That’s kind of the reasoning.
“It will never get better, so no sense waiting for it to improve.”

#5 – Pessimists are frustrating.
When you only see the worst of a situation, you leave a bad taste in the mouth of every optimist around you…and nobody wants to work with, or around, a pessimist.

#6 – Pessimists are jealous and envious.
Since the glass is always half-empty for them, they constantly look at the full glasses around them with disdain for what others have. This fosters the “why me” pity party…
“How come I never get/have _______________?”

Christ wasn’t a pessimist.
Paul wasn’t a pessimist.
Why? They knew the end of the story. Every Christian should be encouraged that this world is not our home, and we have eternity with Christ waiting for us…we should be full of hope for the future!

Our glass is ALWAYS full.
So full that it runs over! (Psalm 23)

We win. We’ve already won.
Let’s live with some enthusiasm and optimism.
No more Eeyore’s in the church…
let’s be spiritual Tigger’s!