Can Optimism Influence Your Future?

I recently met someone diagnosed with macular degenerative disease. His optimism persisted even as he contended with blindness. His faith reminded me of the Apostle Paul’s declaration, “For me, to live is Christ but to die is gain.” To continue living implies this man is fulfilling a useful purpose.”

Optimism gives evidence of gratitude as well as hope for the future. Every day presents an opportunity to express thanksgiving for what God is doing, even when life is difficult to understand. By being appreciative and thankful, you will be inspired to be kinder and more thoughtful to others.

Gratitude produces optimism for managing what is forthcoming as well as keeping the present moment more hassle-free. God will give you a useful purpose when you are willing to accomplish what is before you. God will bless your efforts and give you strength to serve him even in an uncertain world, so serve him with gladness that expresses gratitude.      

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I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace. I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart.

~Psalm 34:1-2 The Living Bible

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What Does Your Mood Reveal?

 In most cases your mood is obvious to others, but what creates a mood can be difficult to explain. A depressed or angry mood can arise from a multiplicity of factors, ranging from feeling threatened to feelings of grief. Your tone of voice indicates if you’re having fun or whether you need either closeness or distance.

A person’s mood actually has an effect on the ability to worship, to pray, or on what you gained from reading God’s word. Your mood affects your state of mind and your conduct. It also indicates if you have an optimistic or pessimistic predisposition, a positive or negative outlook on life.

Faith in Jesus Christ gives you hope for today and for all eternity. Listen to Paul’s confidence: “I know whom I have believed. I’m certain he will guard what I have entrusted to him.” He further advocates, “For me to live is Christ but to die, … well, that’s better yet." In spite of all the troubles Paul experienced, his optimistic attitude is obvious. 

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I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.  

~Psalm 27:13-14 Amplified Bible

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Hope for a Better Tomorrow

Every individual needs to change and mature in some area of their life. Deciding to change is indicative of imperfections and weaknesses. The chance for a new beginning and a fresh start encourages making some needed changes. While the past may have been painful, it doesn't have to determine your future.

Faith and hope for a better tomorrow give life vitality. Seeing change though to fruition is dependent on believing your efforts are blessed by God. How can this be known? If what you are attempting brings honor to God and you give him credit for what is accomplished, then he will bless your hard work.

So change must be a commitment to God’s purposes for you. Sabotaging yourself is difficult to avoid, but as you continually permit God to empower you to make a new start, success can be achieved. The Apostle Paul proclaimed, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength.” This can be your confidence.        

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The Lord said: Forget what happened long ago! Don’t think about the past. I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.

~Isaiah 43:18-19 Contemporary English Version

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Keeping Hope Alive

Realistic hope is never passive even as it is forced to wait patiently for fulfillment. Hope is always coupled to a plan for what can be achieved. Creativity, challenging work, and alertness to opportunities are key factors for hope to be realized. These attributes nurture expectations that keep hope alive.

Hope is the door to opportunity, yet it embraces some degree of risk and disappointment. The very nature of hope projects uncertainty because what is hoped for cannot be seen. However, hope for the future can’t help but raise expectations for something good to be experienced.

For hope to be realistic and healthy it must be grounded in positive good for oneself and others. Romans 12:12 gives these instructions: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Be alert for opportunities to exercise your faith in Christ Jesus which brings hope for fulfillment.  

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The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.

~Romans 8:23-25 Contemporary English Version

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A Song in the Darkest Night

Goodness, kindness, and joy are close companions, and to possess these attributes gives evidence that hope for the future resides within the heart and soul of the possessor. We live in a time of uncertainty, so the natural response is to become self-protective coupled with anxiety, which is often expressed as anger.

This was Job's reaction when his world collapsed, causing incredible grief. His friends encouraged him to focus on the Lord God "who gives a song in the darkest night." Job’s friends were not discounting his sorrow but reminding him there is joy in knowing God cares, which provides hope for a brighter day.

When God's goodness and faithfulness reside in you, worry and fear are reduced because God is in charge of what you cannot control. Listen to God’s reassuring words. “For I have not given you’re a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind.” It’s possible to have hope for the future when the presence of God resides in you.  

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May the Lord show his constant love during the day, so that I may have a song at night, a prayer to the God of my life. Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise him, my Savior and my God.  

~Psalm 42: 8,11 Good News Bible

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Hope: A Fruit Tree to Nourish

The writer of Ecclesiastes observed there is a time and purpose for everything. "A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and to harvest," are two opposites on his list. These indicate each person will experience predictable changes in life, and how we cope with change determines our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

However, it is possible to find purpose and meaning with change by activating hope for the future. Hope produces both the desire and the will to struggle when facing difficult changes. Hope is like a fruit tree planted with expectations for it to produce good fruit.

Hope is the starting point of every ambition. It provides an anchor that stabilizes life. Hope contributes to your confidence as you mature in faith as a Christian. When the apostle Paul spoke of his faith and hope, he spoke of these as a progression that was maturing. Hope is a precious gift from God, so guard and nurture it.  

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Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am an adult, I have no more use for childish ways.

~1 Corinthians 13:7 & 11 Good News Bible

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A View of Hope for the Future

Disappointments produce a wide range of responses from mild displeasure to despondency. The depth of negative reactions is measured by the degree of hope that is felt. Although God became disappointed with the people for their proclivity for sin and moral failure, he never gave up on them.

While Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land, this disappointment did not destroy his hope and faith in God. As he viewed the Promised Land from across the Jordan River, he was pleased God had permitted him to see its beauty and promise. Even in death Moses believed his future was good.

He knew he had finished his race in good standing. God's word testifies: "No prophet has risen in Israel like Moses whom God knew face to face. No one has ever shown the mighty power of God or performed the deeds Moses did in the sight of Israel.” Moses’ hope for the present and future was in the Lord God. This can be your hope.  

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You, [Lord,] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

~Isaiah 26:3-4 New International Version

 

… Always honor the Lord. Then you will truly have hope for the future.

~Proverbs 23:17-18 Contemporary English Version

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When Hope Is Fragile

Hope for a new beginning revives the heart and spirit because it fires up hope for the future. When the economy slows down it's difficult to remain optimistic, but when signs of recovery surface, a revival of hope can follow suit. Revival indicates the emergence of new energy that displaces an attitude of complacency.

An attitude of complacency prevailed among the Hebrew slaves until Moses brought them a message of hope for freedom. Their hearts were revived, but hope remained fragile. Being too optimistic can be hazardous if it prevents preparation for obstacles. Fantasies about the future can crash against reality.

The Hebrew slaves vacillated between hope and fear as they were confronted with obstacles. Moses, however, remained hopeful, for he had witnessed the determination of the Lord God to free His people. Moses believed God was the only source for deliverance. Fear and doubt lose their power as you keep your eyes fixed on Christ Jesus.

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[Let us have] our eyes fixed on Jesus, the source and the goal of our faith. For he himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy he knew would follow his suffering; and he is now seated at the right hand of God’s throne. Think constantly of him enduring all that sinful men could say against him, and you will not lose your purpose or your courage.  

~Hebrews 12:2-3 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

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Crisis: Danger or Divine Opportunity?

A crisis usually develops where neglect and inattention have played a major role. Neglect of the family may result in children developing unacceptable behavioral patterns. Neglecting our need to worship and pray can evolve into a diminished awareness of God's presence. A crisis provides opportunities to make changes that have been ignored.

Can you picture Samson chained to a grinding wheel where his only purpose was to survive another day? He did, however, have the opportunity to change his attitude and thought patterns from an embittered attitude toward God, himself, and his enemy. His choice determined if he would benefit from his crisis. 

Someone noted, "God does not send us despair in order to kill us, but to awaken us to a new life." Perhaps what kept Samson from despair was realizing his hair was beginning to grow out. This gave him hope for the future. The night is never so dark as to extinguish the Light of the World, which is Jesus Christ our Lord. 

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My enemies, don’t be glad because of my troubles! I may have fallen, but I will get up; I may be sitting in the dark, but the Lord is my light. I have sinned against the Lord. And so I must endure his anger, until he comes to my defense. But I know that I will see him making things right for me and leading me to the light.

~Micah 7:8-9 Contemporary English Version

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Avoid Disaster – Enlist Help

Arguments happen in relationships, but most conclude with agreeing to concede something for the sake of peace. When this is not possible, hurt feelings may evolve into emotional estrangement that damages a relationship. An alternative is to enlist a third party to help mediate a solution so trust and peace can be restored.

For Samson, mounting conflict caused tensions to erupt into violence. Each crisis produced an urgency to get revenge, which fueled anger and hatred from those he acted out against. They would then retaliate with equal or greater retribution. 

With each act of violence, something died inside Samson that left him alienated from himself and others. Albert Schweitzer said, "The tragedy of man is what dies inside himself while he still lives." Jesus died to stop man’s descent into death separated from God without hope. By committing your life to Christ and submitting to his cleansing power you receive hope for a future blessed by God.  

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We who have run with our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God.

~Hebrews 6:18-19 The Message

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You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" next week on Thursday morning, November 12 from 10:30-11:30 Central Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR, and FL, please go to www.khcb.org.

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Stifled by Grief?

We're never too old to be creative. What stifles creativity is being overloaded with expectations and self-imposed limitations. Managing daily routines like a career, family and home diminish the desire to be creative. Creativity requires a positive challenge to fire up the flow of new ideas.

One deterrent to creativity is grief, especially when several losses are experienced simultaneously without an opportunity to focus on each one individually. A middle-aged man related how he went through divorce, job loss and a move from his home, all within one month. It's difficult to be creative if the heart and mind are burdened down with emotional issues.

Jesus makes it clear that grieving is to be encouraged. Listen to Matthew 5:4. "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Jesus not only gives us permission to grieve but promises comfort when we do. To be comforted implies allowing healing and hope for the future as well as the blessing of creativity being restored.

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How happy are those who know what sorrow means, for they will be given courage and comfort!

~Matthew 5:4 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

~Psalm 119:49-50 New International Version

A Precious Jewel ~ Hope

Jacob had good reason to have hope. He had an encounter with God while he slept on a dark lonely road. In his dream God promised to bring him home safely. Twenty years later he was making his way home with four wives, eleven children and servants. Hope provided motivation to press onward in the face of many obstacles. Hope strengthens determination even when plagued by uncertainty about the future.

Jacob had to face to face his past sins. The only way he could proceed was to trust in the hope God gave him two decades earlier.  Perhaps his faith mirrored Psalm 25:3. "No one whose hope is in you, O Lord, will ever be put to shame.”

Hope is a precious jewel because it gives an essence to life that comes from the heart of God. Psalm 62:5 affirms, "Find rest, 0 my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and salvation.  He is my fortress. I will not be shaken.” Thank God for hope. 

Go Forth in Hope

When it came time for Jacob to return to his homeland, he left under a cloud of suspicion and distrust. These were similar circumstances that forced him to leave his home twenty years earlier. Jacob never gave up his dubious character that consistently got him into trouble, for he was a schemer, destined to reach for what he wanted.

 

Jacob manipulated his father-in-law out of a large portion of his wealth, then left for home without saying goodbye. He eventually worked out an agreement for peace with his father-in-law. What gave Jacob motivation to leave his father-in-law’s home was the hope God gave him for a safe return to his home and reconciliation with his brother.

When God is at work with a person, he provides hope even in the presence of chaos, separation and sin. Hope pushes us forward and never gives up. Hope sees light in darkness and hears the still small voice of God providing expectancy and courage to make a way even when the road ahead appears barricaded.  

Hope for the Future

Jacob, a grabber and a deceiver, will grab every opportunity to get what he wants. He’s mentally quick to strike a bargain with anybody, including God when it’s suits his purpose. Yet Jacob is convinced he needs redemption and deliverance from impulsive, shameful behavior, so he promises to honor and serve God and give Him a tenth of his earnings.

 

Why would God take a person of such low character and promise him hope for a bright future? God’s grace is greater than our sins, so He sees far beyond the moment to what a person who has been redeemed will do to fulfill His purposes. Consider Peter, who in anger denied even knowing Jesus. 

  

It is our privilege to seize the day and realize that whatever our past has been, by God’s grace there can be a bright future for us. When to the best of our ability we commit our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ for redemption, we are no longer condemned but saved for eternity. Jacob could now go on his journey knowing God had touched him in a way he would never forget.

Crisis! Hope for Positive Change

On the way to visit with his uncle, Jacob stopped for a night’s rest at sundown. He was not on a leisurely vacation, but fleeing the wrath or his brother, who intended to kill him. In life’s journey, there are times when it seems things can’t get worse. Jacob no longer had the provisions and protection of his mother Rebekah and would never have her support again.

A crisis comes when appropriate changes have been disregarded. In Jacob’s case greed overrode a moral code that would have prevented him from cheating and stealing from his brother. Deception had become a way of life for him, so now he was isolated and facing the impact of a full-blown crisis without the support of his family.

It’s at these moments when we can choose the positive direction a crisis presents because God never fails in providing that decision. Even in deepest despair God provides hope for the future by shinning His light on the path we must take. He presents an alternative that is acceptable.

Never Give Up! God Will Send Help - Part 3

Recently a friend related that he was sure God called him for an important purpose. Seemingly impossible obstacles had appeared immediately from every- where. Whatever could go wrong did as a test of his determination to stay on task. He knew God's purpose for him was good and do-able, and this enabled him to rebuke every negative thought and resist every temptation Satan hurled at him.

No matter how determined the forces were to sidetrack him, the certainty of God's call gave him courage to stay focused. A compelling factor was a godly hope for the future - hope of God's blessings for others and himself. Hope gives resilience power to stand firm, regardless of disturbing distractions.

The Apostle Paul gave these encouraging words to the Christians at Thessalonica. "It's clear that God loves you and has put his hand on you for something special. When we preached to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit deposited steel in your convictions." Where there's steel in convictions, there's hope for the future.

Rising Up, Finding Hope - Part 3

Unexpected turns in life add spice to daily routines. However too much spice and rapid change can be disorienting and overwhelming. Imagine the young man in Jesus' parable of the lost son leaving home to find his bliss. He had plans and a pocket full of money. Yet he ended up in poverty, feeding hogs.

He was naive and spent his inheritance on his so-called friends and reckless living. Yet in the depths of personal crisis he demonstrated a sensibility  that allowed him to make a good choice. He stood up to failure and got his life back on track. The sensibility he possessed was faith in his father's compassion, love, and integrity.

If you're arrogant and hold out for everything, you may walk away with nothing. This young man returned home with an attitude of a servant. His arrogance had changed to humility. The right attitude for God to assist you in making effective choices is found in Psalm 29:9. "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." This can be your choice.  

Choosing Reality: For Today and Tomorrow - Part 2

Each of us has thought, "That may work in the movies, but not in reality." We may not like the face of reality, especially when it appears hard or unkind. Reality can be scary, challenging, and nerve-racking. However it can be calming and give its beholder a sense of hope and confidence for the future.

God gives us power to make decisions, to be creative, and to change. Power is a strange phenomenon. Once acquired, it's very difficult to give up. Power can become an addiction. John Dalberg-Acton observed, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The healthiest use of power comes as we seek to share it with others.

The issue is not to seek more control and power in order to compensate for our limitations, but to trust that God is at work in our lives for our good. Psalm 62:8 confirms that we can go to God any time and pour out our hearts to him, for he is our refuge and hope for change. This is God's reality and the way for peace and confidence in a world that is ever-changing.