Optimism Vs. Pessimism

Prime Time Ladies, a group of women from our church, along with friends, come together on the third Tuesday of each month to have lunch and listen to a speaker. To date, we have had many different speakers from various organizations and groups who inform us of their services within our community.

There are women who volunteer and organize these events, and it was my friend who volunteered to organize an event in January 2013, which came around too quickly. We discussed that instead of getting a speaker, we would talk about optimism and pessimism.

The day finally arrived, and it turned out to be very unusual and also exciting.

It started out with someone pressing the alarm button on the chair lift while trying to bring one of the ladies downstairs where we usually congregate. No one knew how to turn off the alarm. There was a constant ringing and beeping noise that prevented us from starting the program. People trying to help just created more chaos. Finally, one woman called her husband, who was trained in running the lift. He figured out the problem, and the alarm stopped.

Negative thoughts, I am sure, entered not only into my mind, but into several minds. I found myself saying that I would never volunteer for organizing such an event again. My friend said that it was a good thing that we were leading the program today; a guest speaker might have been on a time schedule, and perhaps would have had to cancel or leave early. She had a positive outlook on this whole situation. Talking about optimism and pessimism became a reality.

As I thought about optimism and positivity, I also thought about pessimism and negativity, which can engulf us and fool us into believing that there is no hope and that this is as good as it gets. When we find ourselves dwelling on negative feelings of hopelessness and discouragement and when we feel like just giving up, let's remember that God sent His only Son to be a living sacrifice on our behalf.

1 Peter 1:3-4 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. (NASB)

1 Timothy 2:5-6 – For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. (NASB)

Thanks be to God, who sent His only Son to be a living sacrifice on our behalf. We do indeed have hope for today, tomorrow, and the future.

Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who came into this world to transform our negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Thank You for giving us hope for our future. Grant us attitudes of thankfulness, and help us to spread positive thoughts and deeds in our communities and in the world. Amen.

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