Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
A few weeks ago at church we were studying in Numbers 14 in the Bible in which Moses sends out 12 spies to look at the land that the Lord wants them to inhabit.
Ten of the men come back and tell how wonderful the land is, but that the cities are too big, the walls are too tall, and the people are too strong. They even go so far to say that they should find another leader to take them back to Egypt.
However two men, Caleb and Joshua gave a good report and were ready to go in and inhabit the land.
So all 12 men saw the same thing; what made the difference?
The two men said “If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.” (Numbers 14:8)
So the difference is not in the situation itself, but how they looked at the situation. Caleb and Joshua looked at it with the Lord on their side. Specifically they had hope in his promises.
Hope is trust in god’s promises, faith that if we act now, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in the future…
James E. Faust, Oct 1999
So with eyes toward God and his promises and hope in him we can find optimism in our own lives.
As we face situations, let’s look for the positives, the possibilities, and the good. In doing so we will find great joy and happiness in our life. We will find other people enjoy being around us, and that we have purpose in what we do.
You will experience greater joy in life as you eradicate adult-onset pessimism and substitute childlike optimism.
Optimism is a virtue that allows us to see God’s loving hand in the details of our life.
Anthony D. Perkins, Oct 2006
How do you see the world around you?
It’s much more enjoyable to be an optimist!
Inspirational Musings of Mike Shelton 