I’m not much of an optimist. I’m not really a pessimist either. I consider myself more of a realist. Rather than seeing my cup as half empty or half full, I just see an 8 ounce cup that has about 4 ounces left in it.
I think one of the mistakes we can make is mistaking optimism for hope. Throughout the Bible we find language of hope and calls for hope, but we do not see instructions to be optimistic. Being optimistic says, “I think it’s going to be okay,” and then waits to see what’s going to happen. Optimism is dependent upon the uncontrollable working out in your favor. Someone else said, “optimism is a spectator sport.”
Hope is something different. God said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
God is the provider of hope, not of chance. Paul encouraged the church in Romans 15:13 saying, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
In optimism, there is the understanding that things may not work out for us. However, in hope, we are grateful for what we do not yet have in its entirety. In Romans 12:12, Paul said, “Rejoice in hope.”
In the busyness of this life, let us live with conviction and gratitude for the hope that we have.